


I've Been Here the Whole Time

by belncaz



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Friendship, Gen, Kitsune, Shinto, kami - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-25 09:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4955728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belncaz/pseuds/belncaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroko isn't kidding when he tells people "I've been here the whole time." As a shadow spirit in service to the god of sports, Kuroko's been watching over athletes since the first sumo match of the pre-Edo period. Recently he encountered the Kiseki no Sedai & has decided to do something about their growing arrogance. If the other kami will stay out of his way, that is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke  
> Also posted on FFnet, same username.

Kuroko Tetsuya had a secret. It wasn't an infatuation he was worried about being discovered, it wasn't a fear of heights, or a furtive passion for soap operas. Instead the blue haired male was actually a high ranking shadow spirit in service to Seidai Myojin, the kami who oversaw sports and contests of skill in Japan. Kuroko has been watching over Japanese athletes since the first sumo match was held to honor the kami in the pre-Edo period. Kuroko's primary responsibility was to observe athletes from all around the country, especially the chosen few his superior had given special gifts. He was able to monitor the balance between natural talent and honest effort to ensure that games remained inspirational; as these competitions were ritual acts deemed sacred to his brethren. He excelled as a guardian of teamwork and strategy, making him highly respected in the kami world.

While Kuroko's name and significance were currently unknown to humans, having been lost over time as modernity stole some of the more ancient ritual knowledge, he had nevertheless been receiving a large percentage of the offerings given by athletes throughout the centuries as a reward for his superior efforts on behalf of Seidai Myojin. He'd enjoyed a particularly glorious era during the samurai period with the vitality he'd gained from the war games planned by the shoguns and the various training methods the warriors had engaged. He was a strong and capable spirit that was highly trusted and esteemed for his dedication and his unwillingness to give up on any task he'd been assigned.

His home was officially at the Shiramine shrine in Kyoto, but he wandered all over the country observing various contests and matches from traditional competitions like sumo and kemari to imported sports like baseball and tennis. He loved seeing the manifestations of the talents that Seidai Myojin granted, especially when their hosts shone with the light of true enthusiasm for their chosen game. For the past fifty or so years he'd been particularly interested in basketball and had been assigned jurisdiction over the game. He didn't usually interact with the humans he observed from the shadows, but on occasion he took a human form that allowed him to counsel those that were troubled or to talk with someone that was especially interesting. At these times, Kuroko became a blue haired, blue eyed male with a lithe, muscular form and deadpan expression. He'd been in this form for quite a while now, although he frequently slipped back to the realm of the kami to handle his other responsibilities and meet with friends and colleagues.

The impetus for his current appearance had arisen when he'd caught wind of the strong possibility that the Kiseki no Sedai would grow too arrogant from the blessings they'd received and cause massive shockwaves in the balance of middle, and then high school, basketball. Kuroko had been passing through Tokyo when he heard a whisper from one of his scouts of a potential issue with the basketball team at Teiko middle school. Young athletes were always a priority because their progress affected the future of the game and this school in particular housed five of his master's prodigies, there was no way he would ignore the warning.

At first, all seemed well. Kuroko took in the exhausted but hard working second and third string members; he was pleased to see their commitment and support of the team. Then he heard it – the cracking that signaled the impending corruption of one of the talents Seidai Myojin had bestowed. He glanced over and saw an exceptionally agile boy with dark blue hair effortlessly evade a strong defensive screen and powerfully, but with the skill to make it look easy, dunk the ball straight into the hoop. Kuroko could see the strength emanating from the boy; he was clearly already a spectacular athlete that still had a great deal of potential at his disposal. But he was angry, frustrated, and hovering dangerously on the precipice of abandoning all hope and love for the game he'd worked so hard to master.

"Why did you let me through? Try harder!" the boy's voice held a desperate fury that Kuroko had heard before. It seemed that this player had bloomed too early; likely the flicker of his hidden talent had been fanned to life by the depth of his passion for the game. It spoke volumes of the player's dedication; not everyone that received the spark could utilize it, let alone have gained such proficiency so soon in their career. He'd seen many athletes come to hate what they'd once loved in these situations, he'd seen them become cruel and arrogant, secure in the talents they possessed that they had no equal. In these cases the talent became worse than an illness for them and in extreme situations they'd had to remove all memory of the athlete ever competing in order for them to find some chance of happiness in other avenues of their lives.

When the players tried to respond that they had been defending as hard as they could, but that Aomine was simply too strong, Kuroko could see the pain and the fear that crossed his face. This was an athlete that enjoyed testing his strength, of learning and evolving new skills, and it would be one of the harshest fates imaginable for him to never experience the thrill of a true challenge. He searched for the other prodigies he knew should be in the vicinity. One by one, he located the crimson, jade, golden, and then purple haired athletes. Their talents were simmering, they clearly felt the challenge from Aomine's prowess and it would not be long before their own unique abilities erupted to the surface. It would be truly difficult to stop them once that happened.

Almost absentmindedly Kuroko used his limited power of prophecy to see into the future. He couldn't see everything, but he could see the most likely path that pertained to those under the auspices of Seidai Myojin. Shadows were valued for more than hiding after all; it had taken a few centuries, but Kuroko had obtained relative mastery over the ability to navigate time shadows as well. He saw each of the five before him making callous wagers on the number of points they could score, he saw utter desolation in the eyes of their opponents, he saw flashes of contempt and indolence; the inability of coaches and captains to rein them in or get them to practice, the refusal to see teammates as anything other than a hindrance. In short, he saw a rejection of everything he and the other guardians of athletics and skill stood for.

This was the most likely path they would follow. But it wasn't the only one available. Kuroko watched them awhile longer. They were fascinating creatures, so vibrantly dominant and confident of their worth. In earlier eras they would have been loyal devotees at Seidai Myojin's shrine, or at least offered prayers at home in exchange for continued use of their powerful abilities. If they had been spread among different schools it might not reach the point he saw in his vision. It would be a simple matter to disperse them among other schools so they would stand a better chance of encountering defeat more naturally, yet Kuroko felt that would be the coward's way out of this situation. And honestly, he didn't think it would work with all of them since one was bound to come out on top of the others. He could feel the headache coming on at the thought of all the paperwork it was going to take to fix this. But, a bureaucrat's work is never done. Even in the world of the kami, some things had to go through proper channels.

And so Kuroko found himself filling out a lengthy form detailing his intention to take on his human appearance for an extended period of time along with his reasons for such an action. He explained his plan to insert himself as a human a few years prior to the incident he had witnessed today so that he could more easily gain influence in the lives of the Kiseki no Sedai. He would have to live in the human realm and learn basketball from a mortal's perspective, and he'd already made arrangements to focus on being a supportive player. Kuroko didn't believe in taking away the choices humans made, he wasn't about to magically zap away the selfishness he could see burgeoning in the five prodigies, but he was going to do his best to correct the current path they trod.

From what he'd seen throughout his extended life, Kuroko was fully aware that he would be combating more than simple arrogance; he was going to have to instill a respect for variations of strength, for remembering the efforts of those that didn't even get to play in matches, for honoring the delayed hopes of those they defeated in their future battles. It was a daunting enough task to contemplate doing this for a single player as was the norm, but the Kiseki no Sedai were worth the effort. Not only were they representatives of his sport by being basketball players, but they truly were among the most gifted he could remember seeing in a long time. He didn't want their lights to be dulled with disappointment, nor extinguished by force, he wanted them to understand how to blend the support of a shadow with the brilliance of the light to shine even more brightly with the combined strength of teamwork, respect, and skill.

Kuroko wasn't surprised when Seidai Myojin himself asked for a meeting after he submitted his request. The powerful spirit was devoted to the mortals in his care and he could be ferociously protective of his athletes, but he also fretted over the servants in his employ. Kuroko had served him a long time, of course this was worrisome. There was little doubt that such a request was being pushed through because the shadow thought it necessary, but Seidai wanted a word in person first.

"Kuroko, this seems rather drastic. Are you sure it is necessary? This is a long battle you're undertaking, even for one of our kind."

"I'm sure. I know basketball is not one of our traditional sports and that you have been quite indulgent regarding my fascination with it. It is unusual for so many that have received your blessing to gather as they have done within a single sport let alone the same school. I don't want to lose any of them to apathy as we have sometimes seen in the past. I really want to do this. I have made arrangements to have my responsibilities covered but will of course be back as much as possible to oversee emergencies."

His supervisor waved that off, "It was never an issue of your workload, Kuroko. Goodness knows you've earned the right to take on a personal project through all your years of loyalty to me. You haven't even had a vacation since the 15th century, you're easily overdue and you could take several more decades away from your work if you wanted to and not be out of line. I'm worried because you've elected to bind most of your powers while in the human realm. You'll be vulnerable there, my friend. Not fatally so, of course, but more than you have been since…well…you know what's at stake here."

The shadow spirit nodded. He definitely knew. "I have to, my lord. What I want from them is on par with the risk I have to take. If I relied on brute force with all of my powers, I would be nothing more than a hypocrite. I have bound my limits to make the contest as fair as I can, although honestly I have no intention of losing, but the possibility must be there or I couldn't embark on this task."

The ancient kami considered his servant with a heavy heart and sighed. "Your sense of fair play will be your undoing one day; you know it is true Kuroko. But I understand why this is important to you. Of course I approve your request, but I will expect regular reports from you."

It was a moment filled with unspoken hopes and fears for both of them. The gifts of five prodigies was no small gamble, but nor was the risk embedded for the earnest shadow guardian as he moved forward with this plan. Before he could lose his nerve, Kuroko bowed to his master and vanished, using the shadows to travel to the human world and activating the restrictions for his entry and manifestation as a human. When he next opened his eyes, he would be Kuroko Tetsuya, a fifth grade student living in Tokyo, about to watch his first basketball match on television. As a champion for all that competition could truly be, he had work to do and he was more than ready to get started.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Shiramine shrine in Kyoto really does exist and is indeed associated with sports. However I know very little about either Japan or Shinto as a whole, so most of what I say regarding kami and other "traditional elements" of Japanese culture in this story will be plot-driven rather than necessarily well-researched. Just so you know. :-)  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kuroko opened his eyes, he immediately felt the difference between this form that he'd bound so severely and his usual mortal appearance. As a shadow spirit, taking on the weight of more substantial physical forms was always an adjustment, but his body felt heavier than he'd ever experienced before since he'd cancelled all normal gravity negotiations in order to move like an ordinary human boy would do. It was funny, in its way, because he knew this body was small and not designed for bulk in the way many athletes could pull off. Despite that, he might as well as have been carrying the weight of a far heavier frame for all of the disorientation he was experiencing.

He took in the television in front of him; it was tuned to show a basketball championship and the announcers were speculating on the forthcoming match. He'd picked this moment very specifically when discussing the best time to begin his experience of the human world with some of his friends. Kuroko had been alive long enough to know the basics of human language (he spoke several due to the increasingly globalized nature of athletic competitions) and social customs; but he didn't know how to communicate first memories. Kuroko had such a vast store of information about athletes and competitions throughout the millennia that he had wanted to ensure he could properly portray his first infatuation with this sport. He'd decided the best way would be to experience it with the mind and psyche of a young boy rather than with the appreciation of the connoisseur he'd become through the centuries.

Kuroko could feel his consciousness settling between his memories as a shadow and his identity as a human. He had wanted his plan to proceed as authentically as possible, but he'd acknowledged he'd also have to retain awareness of his past to avoid distraction from his goals. Because of that, he hadn't enacted a complete separation; rather his mind was organized along lazily shifting layers. The majority of his presence was aligned to be Kuroko Tetsuya, the fifth grade student about to fall in love with basketball, yet a significant amount was reserved as the shadow guardian that had too much at stake to risk otherwise.

As the teams were introduced by the announcers, Kuroko couldn't help but smile. Neither of these teams had one of his master's explosive prodigies, but they each had decent amounts of the more subtle gifts that made a match unpredictable. He could see glimmers of Seidai Myojin's influence in the battle-hardened eyes of the captains; the two men were both formidable strategists with the talent to rally their teams in times of need. These were some of the best games to watch because barring a serious injury or unforeseen circumstance; they were just as much up to the quality of team spirit as they were to the physical skills of the players. He recognized both as strong teams, their awareness of each other's expertise and appreciation for the upcoming contest meant he needn't feign his interest.

Almost without meaning to, Kuroko found himself leaning forward to better observe the athletes. He knew the technical aspects of the game but it didn't lessen his true appreciation of their artistry. These weren't prodigies, they were experts, and their precision was of a level he'd call beautiful even with the brutal edges that were inherent to so many forms of athletic competition.

As the game progressed, Kuroko remembered why he'd asked to oversee this sport over five decades ago. It imbued so much of what he loved about Japanese athletics through the centuries; the graceful moves around the court called to mind the legacy of traditional Japanese dancing; their steals and blocks hinted at martial arts and the proud traditions of the ancient hunters. He saw the feints and parries of sword play and kendo in their dodges, the sportsmanship alongside the dedicated intensity reminded him of honorable ninjas and samurai, and the huddles during time outs became counsels of war that would have made any imperial general proud. Basketball hadn't been invented in Japan, but it had taken on a character that made for a more than worthy legacy of the values and techniques he and his colleagues had so carefully cultivated over time.

When it was over Kuroko's hands itched to find a basketball and begin testing himself. He considered his options. He had a child's body and he knew he would have the skill of an absolute beginner. It was an intentional result of how he'd chosen to proceed, but in the back of his mind Kuroko knew it would be unfamiliar to be so amateurish. He was an ambassador of the protector of sports after all, in both his shadow and normal human form he was more than able to demonstrate mastery in any sport he wished. But he hadn't chosen this task for his own glory, he had purposefully taken the harder path and he was resigned to the consequences.

With that in mind, Kuroko left his house and went in search of a street court. He soon found one and at the invitation of the other children already there, he began to play. It was a joyously chaotic experience. He was uncoordinated and unskilled, but he was having fun as he worked to gain familiarity with the demands of his body and the experience of playing this way. The others teased him, but it was not mean-spirited and he found a mentor in the form of one boy named Ogiwara Shigehiro. The brown haired boy was friendly and enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge with Kuroko, and the shadow spirit recognized one of the generalized talents that would be awakened in him. Ogiwara was not a prodigy, but he would be an excellent motivator for his teammates and his cheerfulness would counter many a demoralized athlete having an off day.

Weeks passed in this way, with Kuroko and Ogiwara meeting to play basketball with an ever-rotating supply of neighborhood children. Kuroko knew that even though he was improving, he was far below the level he'd need to gain access to the Kiseki no Sedai. But he persevered and formed a genuine friendship with the brunette that so freely shared his time and talents with Kuroko. He felt sincere regret when Ogiwara told him one day that he was moving away. Kuroko hadn't formed a lasting attachment to a human in a long time; it was an unhappy reminder of the potential pain associated with becoming too involved in their lives. But he was cheered by their promise to compete against one another in middle school.

The day Kuroko entered Teiko middle school as a student; he felt a renewed sense of purpose. He knew the five prodigies would be there and that soon his task would begin in earnest. As he walked around the campus engrossed in his book, another long-standing delight he'd discovered in the human realm at some point in his past, he caught glimpses of them and knew that while their connected fates had many possible outcomes, there was only one in which he was interested. They had far too much to offer to grow bored with their gifts and he would fight with that in mind.

When the day for basketball tryouts finally arrived, it was with no little chagrin that Kuroko found himself on the third string. Teiko's strength was outstanding even before the arrival of the four prodigies that joined the team that day; he was not proficient enough to be ranked any higher. Four prodigies…Kuroko looked at them curiously, who was missing? It took a moment to search his memories before he realized the golden haired one wasn't present. He wasn't terribly worried; the events would play out in accordance with the original storyline before he decided to meddle, so it must be that the blonde joined at a later point. As he surveyed the four young talents that had earned a spot on the first string, he felt his human mind experience both discouragement and amazement; it was a curious feeling to be so genuinely impressed while aware of one's own lack of talent. His shadow spirit side rejoiced to see them like this – it was a unique opportunity he'd carved out for himself.

They were confident, as they'd been when he first saw them. But their eyes weren't jaded yet and they seemed…lighter, somehow. Even the purple-haired giant that looked so sleepy seemed more content. During the tryouts they'd all moved with energy and purpose, their limbs had conveyed their potential strength and unconsciously the lines of their bodies spoke of the freedom they felt while playing. Each of them had different motivations for taking up the game, but Kuroko knew that beneath the specifics, was a shared sense of feeling truly comfortable with themselves that they could indulge while they played this game.

Practices were draining, but he kept at them. Despite his lack of advancement in the team's ranking, Kuroko knew he couldn't give up at this early juncture. Kuroko asked the coach if he might stay late for extra sessions and permission was granted. He had been exchanging letters with Ogiwara to stay apprised of the other's progress and was pleased his friend had made the team at Meiko middle school. He had several promises to keep and it went against his nature to not pursue his goals wholeheartedly.

It wasn't until the evening Aomine was bored enough to check out the rumors of a ghost in the third string gym that Kuroko actually spoke with one of the Kiseki no Sedai. He was amused when Aomine thought he was a ghost, it wasn't quite true of course, but it wasn't that far from reality either. It was part of the condition of being human for one of his kind, while he could forcibly amplify his presence, it was not worth the energy to do so in most cases, and it meant he was usually difficult to notice.

"Please don't hurt me! I meant no disrespect!" It was a little disconcerting to hear the fear in the usually confident voice, but the situation was a bit unusual, Kuroko knew.

"Aomine-kun, why are you here?"

"Huh? How do you know who I am?" He quickly lost his earlier uncertainty and the dark blue eyes were taking in the figure before him with no small amount of curiosity.

"You're Aomine-kun, you are on the first string, and everyone knows who you are."

"Who are you then? And why are you in here so late?"

After Kuroko explained who he was and why he was there, Aomine was impressed by his commitment and they agreed to practice together from then on. It was an interesting experience for both of them. Kuroko had to give everything he had to keep up with the speed and intricacy of the darker teen's plays, while Aomine was continually on guard against the indomitable spirit in the other's eyes. Kuroko couldn't really match him, but if he wasn't careful, the smaller teen could catch him unawares by anticipating his route or managing to distract him just enough to make the shot more difficult. More than anything, he appreciated how Kuroko didn't give up even with the obvious difference in their skill levels.

This was what Kuroko wanted to preserve in Aomine and the others. Aomine was patient even as he was demanding; he tried to help Kuroko develop and there were some noticeable changes. His stamina improved, and he acquired a deep familiarity with the tricky and improvised movements that so characterized Aomine's style of basketball. It was gratifying to experience, it was one of the more difficult gifts his master could bestow and even at this early stage, Aomine had a fluid mastery that made it seem laughably easy, until you tried to stop him.

Selfishly, Kuroko enjoyed having this opportunity to watch Aomine's gifts develop while he still enjoyed the game. He also felt that he was getting better with forced endurance and strategy drills that resulted from their training. So it was with utter shock that he heard the third-string coach suggest he quit because of his poor performances. He couldn't help his disappointment but Aomine unexpectedly came to his rescue.

"Tetsu, I can't promise you'll make it if you keep trying. But if you give up, you'll have nothing. I don't think you're useless, that can't be true of someone that works so hard. Let's keep working at it, we'll find something only you can do and one day we'll be on the court together."

Although Kuroko had no intention of quitting, he was still incredibly touched by this show of support- it was such a marked difference from the future he'd seen when this person became isolated by his own talent. It was at that moment the door to the gym opened and in walked Akashi, flanked by Midorima and Murasakibara. Kuroko looked at them curiously; it was odd for them to be in this building.

"So this is where you've been, Aomine?" The question was uttered in tones so self-assured that even Kuroko, a spirit with centuries of experience and a great deal of authority himself, took note of the leadership that seemed bred into the very bones of the speaker. He looked again and he saw something fascinating; the redhead had the potential for two unique gifts from the kami's blessing. That was extremely rare; Kuroko hadn't encountered this since the 1700s.

"Eh? Yeah, we've been practicing together."

"Together…?" Akashi's eyes swept the gym before settling on Kuroko; while he clearly hadn't noticed the smaller teen before, he did not have the usual reaction of fear or surprise. He looked merely interested.

And in this manner, Kuroko came to the attention of Akashi Seijuro; the eventual captain of the Kiseki no Sedai. The redhead observed him play for a while and dangled the lure of using his lack of presence to become a valuable member of the team. Kuroko immediately knew he was referring to misdirection, but as a mortal, he would have to actually work to perfect this technique rather than rely on the shadows themselves to aid him. It was an intriguing notion and while it took him a few months to master it, he made sufficient progress to be able to impress both Akashi and Nijimura, the current middle school captain.

Aomine was happy for him and they went to celebrate with ice cream at the convenience store, a habit they'd long ago established in their evolving friendship. Kuroko didn't have much of an appetite as a human, but ice cream was definitely something he found deliciously revitalizing and he was always pleased when the opportunity to have it arose.

Kuroko was tired, but pleased. It was draining being in the mortal realm for such extended periods and even his reserves were getting low. He needed to recharge in the shadow realm among the kami before much longer had passed; if for no other reason than he would soon be given a trial run at the first string competition and needed to do well. He was looking forward to his first game with the starting squad; it would give him a better sense of how their talents would develop at their current rate. Kuroko considered his schedule and decided he would make a trip home in the morning, at the same time he renewed his energy levels, he could report to his master. He fell asleep with the thought that he still hadn't met the blond prodigy yet and that it would not be ill-advised to check with one of his staff to see what the blond had been up to while he was in the other realm...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Yayoi period that is briefly mentioned in here is roughly dated 300 BC to AD 300. In other words, Kuroko's older than he looks. ;-)  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kuroko returned to the spirit realm it was like instantly shedding invisible chains – he felt renewed, and the powerful energy he suppressed in the mortal world came flooding back to him almost instantly. It was always a mixed blessing to be back, as he was quickly inundated with greetings, forms that needed his signature, emergency petitions that needed his approval, and other minutia that formed the backbone of his department. He handled it with the calm efficiency he'd learned from centuries of practice and in short order he'd waded through the chaos that had accumulated since his last report. He was less pleased when he checked in with a member of his staff about the status of one Kise Ryota.

"The Lady of Luck and Beauty has laid claim to his talent and he's been focusing on his modeling rather than sports due to her influence? Do you really mean to tell me that Kishijoten's control is somehow stronger than Sedai Myojin's with such a powerful athlete? Why is she even interested in him? Her usual preference is for opera and geisha girls!"

The apologetic subordinate tried to explain, "She's been expanding her purview toward actors and performers for several decades due to the waning popularity of opera and traditional entertainment; and she thinks he's pretty."

Kuroko frowned. It wasn't that unusual for more than one kami to be interested in the same human, and the nature of Kise's talent in particular would call to any number of them. It was a dilemma because even though the gift originally came from his division, in essence it was the ability to learn quickly, and that didn't have to manifest in athletics. Others could lay claim to directing and overseeing the growth of his skills and if it suited the human's inclination, then it was considered fair to poach. Kise's work meant crossovers with acting, stage work, and other such efforts that might well have labelled him a performer under Kishijoten's jurisdiction, if Kuroko didn't already have plans for him. Kishijoten's interest in the blonde was perhaps understandable, he was certainly attractive enough and if she was being creative in stating her right to his talent, it could feasibly take root elsewhere. But Kuroko wasn't about to let such a promising light be stolen from him like this, he would handle it.

He sighed heavily and then asked, "Is she open to any negotiation?"

There was a tense pause before the quiet reply was heard. "Yes. But you're not going to like it. In exchange for relinquishing her claim over Kise, she either wants you to transfer to her sector when you finish this project, or she wants Sedai Myojin to reassign some of the "pretty sports" to her. She's specifically asked for at least all forms of dancing; she's bitter over those being taken away from her in the 19th century since she still has the poetic claim to them, if not the power."

A malicious giggle interrupted their conferral and a sweetly-poisonous voice began speaking. "Kuroko-sama, you shouldn't be so capable. It has caused all kinds of covetous eyes to look your way lately. And of course, if we're speaking of pretty, she would naturally want you on staff. Although, it could be your discussion with her regarding the close ties of artistry and athleticism at the conclave last century that somehow caught her attention. You may have proven a little too convincing in that regard."

Kuroko glared at the newcomer, a kitsune emissary of Susanoo, the god of the sea and storms that could be prone to mischievous impulses. This particular courier had guarded his name from all but his overlord and although Kuroko had dealt with him for centuries, he had no name for the spirit other than 'messenger' to which the other nonchalantly responded.

"How may I be of assistance, messenger?" Kuroko's tone was polite but the centuries of mutual dislike between the two spirits was just barely hidden.

Coldly amused eyes looked at the shadow spirit. "Ah, but I believe it is I who might be able to help you, Kuroko-sama." The words were well-mannered, but the messenger always managed to add mockery to an honorific, making it sound far less a courtesy than an insult. "Lord Susanoo sends his regards to Seidai Myojin's devoted servant. He asks that before you rashly consider Lady Kishijoten's offer, you remember that there were shadows in the storms and seas long before the land came to house your precious athletes. He will intervene with the Lady Kishijoten and allow you to continue your odd little experiment, if you will return your contract to his service, he is sure your true strength is better suited to such work."

Kuroko inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I am honored by this offer, Lord Susanoo is a powerful spirit and the shadows in his service are known to be formidable. I have lost much of my power and rank from that time so to be thought worthy enough for such ascension is indeed flattering. But my loyalty has long been to Seidai Myojin, it is for him to say if my services are no longer needed before I can entertain any thought of transfer."

The kitsune's smile was sharp and mocking. "I am sure he expects nothing less from you. All this fuss over one peculiar mortal, and one tiny shadow. It rather makes one wonder. But no matter, my job's done for now. Go talk with your lord. We're all waiting with such eagerness to see how you might try to extract yourself from this little tangle." With no further comment, the messenger vanished.

Kuroko turned back to his subordinate. "It appears that word has spread about this situation?"

The other nodded. "It has been so long since you took human form for such an extended period, it quickly made the gossip rounds. And Lord Susanoo's messenger was not wrong, many curious eyes have been watching."

Silence descended for a moment while Kuroko considered his options. Finally he realized he had only one. "I'm going to see Seidai Myojin before anything else. If I don't come back after the meeting, and nothing critical arises before then, I'll be back in two weeks for the next report." He followed that with wishes for a good day and went to see his master, waiting until he was granted permission before entering the room.

Seidai Myojin's expression told Kuroko before any words were exchanged that not only did his master know of the situation, but that he was not going to give Kuroko to Lady Kishijoten. He felt a sense of relief; for all her beauty, she was a capricious spirit that could be infinitely cruel if she chose, and he would not have any easy time with her.

"Kuroko, I've already been briefed about both Kishijoten and Susanoo. I know you don't want to serve either of them, so we won't mention it further. However, I must ask, is this plan of yours really worth all of this? I don't really like the idea of giving one of my prodigies over to Kishijoten, but you would still have the other four to redeem if we chose not to fight her over Kise."

The shadow spirit calmly met his lord's gaze and what he said next made the kami close his eyes in horror. He shouldn't be surprised that his servant had been so reckless; if anything he should have expected something like this when he first read over Kuroko's request. Tying one's own fate to the five prodigies? Of course he would have done such a thing, but it meant that Kuroko absolutely could not fail to gather any of them back into the fold of honorable competition or he would be lost just as much as they would.

It was just like that unfortunate incident from the Yayoi era, when Kuroko had done something similar to aid in the endeavors of a warrior-priest trying to repel the invaders seeking to conquer the territory. The man had ultimately betrayed the shadow spirit and Kuroko had lost everything from that debacle. He'd even been cast out of the god of war, Hachiman's, service as punishment. It had taken him centuries to regain enough of himself to finally earn a place with Seidai Myojin, who was a relative newcomer to the pantheon and certainly it was a far less prestigious post than he'd previously held. Kuroko had fallen far in status because of his disastrous trust in the human, but he'd served the lesser kami as faithfully and loyally as he had Hachiman and Susanoo before him. Kuroko had never hinted by as much as a sigh that he might resent any of it, either. Seidai Myojin was not unaware of this, which is why he knew how dangerous the situation could become.

"I should be furious with you that you did not tell me about that little detail. But it is so true to character for you that I can't help but admire your faith in those five. Still, it rather changes the stakes." The kami's words lacked real heat and Kuroko knew his master understood his motivations.

"Sire, if you don't wish to give her dominion over the dancing, I think I may have a solution. All we really need to do is ensure Kise chooses to play basketball; he doesn't have to stop modeling altogether, but we could easily share his talent with her. If he does both, then honor is satisfied. Lady Kishijoten must recognize the free will of humans just as we do, so if we don't want to back down from this and open ourselves up to an influx of challenges over other prodigies in the future, this could set a reasonable precedent."

Seidai Myojin smiled at his clever way out of the tricky situation. "It always amazes me how you seem to find the obvious solution, it does you credit as a protector of strategy. You are certainly correct, if the human chose to do both, then his talent is equally split and both of us would receive a portion of his energy. If he picks only basketball, we would still win. It is only if he chooses to abandon sports altogether that we might run into an issue. I don't necessarily mind giving her the dancers to ensure you have a clear chance to work with him, but I don't like the message it sends as we have crossover with other kami's jurisdictions as well. Do you think you can entice him to focus on sports, at least enough to reinforce our claim on him?"

Kuroko nodded. "Absolutely. All he needs is a push in the right direction and I think I know exactly how to do that."

"Very well, I will convey to Lady Kishijoten our decision. However, I wish you hadn't been so reckless, Kuroko. I won't be able to save you if you aren't successful. But I can promise you this, if it does come to that, I won't turn you out. I know you will recover eventually and your place will still be here if you wish it. But, in light of this recent development, I think you need additional support while in the human realm." He thought for a moment before a delighted smile crossed his face. "I think I have just the answer." The kami turned toward a shadow portal and softly called for what he wanted. Moments later, a small shadow entered and floated over in front of Kuroko. It swirled and shook briefly before it finally solidified in the form of a small puppy with eyes the same shade as Kuroko's.

"He's a new addition to our staff, he doesn't even have a name yet, but he's enthusiastic. From what I understand, it is common for human children to have a pet, so in this guise he should not be too out of place. He can be your second in command, if you will. If nothing else, he can serve as a messenger if you should need it."

Kuroko smiled down at the shadow puppy. He was familiar with the concept of pets but it had not occurred to him to acquire one; this was a far better solution really as it would not need the same care as a dog from the human realm. The creature barked joyously and Kuroko understood that the spirit was happy to be of assistance. "Then Nigou you shall be, yes? At least for now, but I must admit that naming is not one of my strengths. Perhaps you will select something for yourself when you are ready."

Nigou seemed unconcerned about such an unimportant detail; he was far more interested in whether Kuroko would show him some of the sports and competitions he'd been hearing about. And of course Kuroko assured him that would be no problem. So the two of them were pleased by this new arrangement and their master had some peace of mind that Kuroko would not be alone while he continued his work.

"Well then, what other news do you have, Kuroko? Are things progressing as you expected?"

And so Kuroko proceeded to fill his master in on the developments so far. He managed to make Seidai Myojin laugh several times as he recounted his less than stellar performances in his limited human form. When Kuroko was finished, the kami smiled fondly at him. It was sometimes difficult to remember that in his previous contract, this figure used to be concerned with waging battles on the scale of imperial clashes, but as Seidai listened to the thoroughly plotted out plan of attack that Kuroko had devised, it was all too clear that Kuroko's prowess had merely shifted focus, but not lost any intensity.

After a few exchanges regarding Kuroko's next few moves, they bid one another farewell and Kuroko held Nigou to guide his first interdimensional transport. Nigou would be able to do it himself the next time, but he was, comparatively speaking, an infant that would need some training for a while to be of actual use to Kuroko. But neither shadow minded, they'd taken an instant liking to one another and it would prove to be a beneficial friendship for them both.

Kuroko set their time of return early enough so that he could still get to school on time. He didn't like using shadow transport while in his current human form, it could be done, but with his powers bound as they were it took more energy than he really wanted to expend. Which simply meant he had to observe the same principles of preparing for his commute as normal humans did if he wanted to avoid being late. On entering his home, he showed Nigou around and briefly explained his routine so the other spirit would know when to expect him. Nigou was overall much weaker than Kuroko was, but he did retain the ability to come and go at will, so there was no issue of his being unnecessarily confined if he wanted to explore. But before that, Kuroko had a special assignment for the small shadow. Nigou was ecstatic to already be put to work and energetically agreed to the plan.

Feeling far more animated than he had in a few days, Kuroko headed off to school. Today was his last practice before the trial game tomorrow, and he was excited. But even more importantly, he was going to have to do something about Kise. Nigou's assignment was to follow the blond for the day and report to Kuroko about his activities and behaviors - Kuroko needed more information to be most effective in his challenge to keep Kise's talent out of Lady Kishijoten's exclusive reach.

The blond didn't notice the dog of course; Nigou kept himself invisible while observing the human, but his utter apathy toward everything confused the young spirit. He didn't understand everything about Kuroko's plans and interest in these creatures, but he'd assumed there would be something more notably special about this one at least.

When he reported his impressions to Kuroko, the elder shadow didn't immediately say anything. But eventually he looked into the familiarly hued eyes and explained his plan for Kise. Nigou yelped his understanding – they would have to wait a while, and Kuroko would certainly have extra pressure for tomorrow's game to make this possible, but it seemed feasible. Kise would eventually take his place with the Kiseki no Sedai, the expression on Kuroko's face was so resolutely determined that if Nigou were a betting spirit, then he'd wager everything he had on that outcome. But no matter, tomorrow was an important step in their plans, they would soon know where to go from there.


	4. Chapter 4

Kuroko could barely pay attention to his classes the next day. He usually found school fairly interesting as humans had a significantly different perspective compared to what he knew of the world. But he could not concentrate very easily as his thoughts were consumed by his upcoming trial game with the first string team. The extremely competitive nature of Teiko's basketball club meant that there was no room for error here in order to earn a lasting spot on the first string. If he didn't perform well enough for the promotion, Kuroko would be in trouble. His sense of fair play meant he would not manipulate the coach if he couldn't do it on his own merits. He was relatively at peace with that because it wouldn't absolutely eliminate his ability to interact with the prodigies, it would, however, make it significantly more difficult. He'd also entrusted an important task to Nigou for that day and while he had every confidence his eager assistant would follow through, it was still nagging at the back of his mind.

Finally, mercifully, the last bell rang and he hurriedly gathered his belongings together. As he crossed the campus toward the gym, he caught a faint remnant of vaguely familiar spirit energy, but looking around he could not see the source. He hesitated briefly, however he didn't really have time to track it right now. Putting the issue aside, he continued onward and after changing into his uniform, he gathered with the other players.

He had to stay calm, but it was almost intoxicating being so close to the vibrant energy the four prodigies possessed. It was with some dismay he heard that he would be starting after Haizaki called Akashi to say he was sick – Kuroko hadn't anticipated needing additional time to calm down, but it had been so long since he had been in such close proximity to this much talent and certainly he couldn't remember doing so without the barrier of his own powers as a buffer.

Still, despite a wobbly start that had the coach and Nijimura both looking askance at him, he managed to settle down. His passes went through, but he wasn't as consistent as he would like. He could tell Akashi was watching him and trying to figure out what was wrong. Unfortunately this was not really within the young vice captain's ability to fix. It helped tremendously when he detected Nigou's delighted energy nearby – the spirit had apparently been successful, which meant, yes, there it was. Nigou sent him an echo of proud accomplishment, the shadow dog would get better at telepathic communication as he grew stronger, but this was more than enough for now.

The door to the gymnasium opened and Kuroko sensed Kise's entrance, he was looking for the dog that had playfully taken his phone and run into this building. He stooped to pick the device up when he saw it on the floor, and then his attention was caught by the game in front of him. It was a particularly excellent moment to observe as Aomine pulled off a seemingly impossible dodge to land an amazingly tricky shot. Kise's eyes shone with a curious interest – this was a sport he had not tried before, and Aomine's skill was not only fascinating to watch, it left him with a sincere competitive thrill. Kise genuinely did not know if he could best Aomine, but he thought it might be well worth a try.

Kuroko almost sighed with relief at seeing Kise's riveted expression. But it proved costly as he tripped over his own feet from the moment of distraction and fell face first onto the court. When he straightened back up and saw the aghast expressions of his teammates, he had a feeling this was not going to go over smoothly. He proved correct as he was immediately benched and found himself on the receiving end of a coldly disapproving lecture from the coach about wasting the opportunity he had been given.

After quietly apologizing and honestly admitting to nerves, Kuroko promised to do better or happily accept demotion. The coach eyed him skeptically, but despite himself he was a little impressed by the composure Kuroko was now showing. He had a formidable temper and even his seasoned athletes had difficulty answering him in these situations. He would allow one more chance. They had enough of a lead anyway, but it would still allow him to see if there was anything worthwhile in this player.

When Kuroko came back to the court, Akashi met him and offered him advice, "You need to keep your emotions hidden, Kuroko-kun. Your will to fight is good, but your misdirection won't be effective if you can't mask it." Kuroko nodded in acknowledgement, this was nothing he didn't already know, but Akashi's attempt to help was encouraging.

It was a totally different second half. Kuroko's nerves had settled, he was reassured that they had at least gotten Kise's attention, he was more prepared to be around the Kiseki no Sedai, and he found a rhythm for his passes that startled even his teammates. He could see the looks of incredulity on Midorima's and Murasakibara's faces; Aomine was excited and pleased by the increased energy of the game, and Akashi approved of this new talent at their disposal. Kuroko would have considered it a complete success, if he hadn't felt another vestige of the strange shadowy energy in the gymnasium. Kuroko tensed and tried to unobtrusively look around, but whoever or whatever was there had a much stronger shield than Kuroko could see through in his current state. Unless the spirit became actively malicious Kuroko had no choice but to ignore it for the moment, however he didn't have to be happy about it.

When the game was over, he found himself receiving a congratulatory fist bump from Aomine, and Midorima nodded at him in grudging acknowledgment of his unique style. Murasakibara ruffled his hair, which annoyed him somewhat but he put up with it for now. Akashi had a satisfied smile in place, he'd known Kuroko had potential and it was gratifying to see it realized; he was envisioning an even stronger year for Teiko.

He looked for Kise and saw the blond lounging negligently against the wall as he glanced around the gymnasium. To Kuroko's trained eye, he was obviously picturing himself on the team and tossing it around in his head to consider if he wanted to commit himself to it. From Nigou's report, Kuroko knew that Kise's major problem at this stage was that everything came too easily to him and he would be bored without someone of equal or greater talent to keep him in check. It was a dangerous balance they would have to maintain because to tempt Kise into playing basketball would require the others to escalate their talents more drastically than they might do ordinarily, which as Kuroko had seen, meant all five of them would outpace their peers too quickly. The problem, as Kuroko saw it, was not so much that they shouldn't use their talents, but they needed to understand that what made these gifts so special was that they could be even stronger when they were used in combination with the skills of an entire team.

Aomine suggested a celebratory ice cream and the others agreed. Kuroko smiled at the purity of Aomine's joy and he was reassured that he was doing the right thing with this plan. Seeing this unspoiled elation and vitality in response to an aggressive, but sincerely played game - it was certainly worth preserving. After they'd cleaned up and changed clothes, the four prodigies, Kuroko, Nijimura, and Momoi gathered outside a nearby convenience store with their frozen treats. Muraskibara had wisely pointed out that it was more economical if they bought a box and so they had taken this advice.

As he sat on a step slightly apart from the group, Kuroko observed Momoi for a moment. She was dangerous. He saw she had the potential for athletics herself, it was clear that she had Aomine's respect in that regard. As she chatted with all of them, and particularly Akashi, he heard in her voice the passion for intelligence-gathering that spoke of her status as one of Omoikane's chosen. The god of intelligence and wisdom had a strong hold on her and while it was obvious that her choice to manage the team was born of her affection for Aomine, she had developed an independent appreciation for drawing up strategies and dossiers of players' strengths and weaknesses. He would have to be careful around her. Thankfully she had not really taken notice of him so far, his low presence was in this case a blessing.

Kuroko's human side was enjoying this camaraderie. The shadow spirit was fascinated by these humans' relationships to one another, but he had a certain detachment from them that was the natural result of his many millennia of existing. He did care about them; this whole convoluted enterprise he'd undertaken was proof enough of that. However, as much as he would like to feel otherwise, he had not completely recovered from his last experience of trying to so personally and fully help a human. Kuroko trusted that they had enough sincere love of the game to be redeemable; but he didn't know how far he could let his fondness for them grow – he was already more attached to Ogiwara than he'd anticipated becoming, and he could see himself making the same mistake with them as well. His human consciousness had no such reservations and particularly as a young male, these powerfully admirable figures were creating a strong impression. He would have to rein this in and stay focused, there was too much on the line for all of them for him to get sloppy.

However, for the moment, he had other fish to fry. After everyone departed, Kuroko returned to the gymnasium and waited patiently. Before too long had passed, the expected tell-tale shimmer that indicted a visible manifestation of someone from his world could be seen. He was truly shocked however, when he saw who it was.

"Greetings, Kuroko-sama. It seems you didn't completely screen out your powers then, if you can sense me? I watched your game, were you supposed to fall down like that?" The form was Haizaki's, but there was a faint glow in the eyes that betrayed it wasn't him, or at least, not only him. Now that he had fully manifested, Kuroko knew who this figure was, and he couldn't be less pleased to see him.

"Messenger, what have you done?" Kuroko's voice was quiet but inwardly he was not only furious, he was afraid.

The kitsune's sly personality shone through with the faux-innocent smile he sported on the grey-haired teen's face. "Nothing permanent, not to worry, I'm only borrowing him. He has a talent quite like that blond you are so anxious about but his personality is much more suited to me, don't you think? I thought I could make this ever so much more entertaining, while of course being dedicated to my task of keeping an eye on you for Lord Susanoo, this way."

"I believe that my master has already declined to release my contract. Why is Lord Susanoo still interested?"

"Well that is the question, isn't it, Kuroko-sama? Susanoo's whims are his own, but remember, you are one of only a handful of shadows to survive a forcibly cancelled contract. Hachiman meant for you to die after that human betrayed you and the fact that you didn't has been something of a mystery. I would imagine Susanoo has been waiting for a chance to reclaim you for that alone. He is both a creator of, and barrier for, destruction after all. But you have been stubborn with your insistence on staying with your current master and it has proved quite intriguing to several of the others. "

"I am fully aware that Hachiman was displeased with me for that debacle, Messenger. I left Susanoo's service on good terms but it was at his behest; he is the one that sent me to Hachiman. I owe nothing to either of them apart from my respect as a shadow to any of the kami that rule our land. I don't know what you are hoping for with this game, Messenger, but it is not my intent to let you derail my own plans."

The other spirit laughed but it was closer to a mocking cackle than anything truly like humor. "Don't be so rash, Kuroko-sama. You don't even know what he wants from you yet and you're already bristling against an unknown offer. You shouldn't be so suspicious of your former master; maybe he merely wants to have a tea party after such a long absence from one another. Lord Susanoo has extended an invitation for you to meet with him when you next return to the shadow realm. Whether you accept or decline is of course entirely your decision, but either way I will occasionally pop in. You would be amazed by what's inside this one's head, Kuroko-sama, he makes such an excellent host for one such as me, and it would be rude to not make use of such a fine vessel." With a parting laugh that echoed through the empty gymnasium, the kitsune vanished.

Kuroko's hands clenched into tight fists and he wanted to scream with his frustration but he managed to contain it through a ferocious battle of will. He had a fairly good idea of what Susanoo wanted from him, but he'd be damned if he returned to the state he'd been in while serving the storm god all those centuries ago. He'd been a wild thing, using his powers to wreck chaos and destruction at Susanoo's direction. He'd only begun to change when the islands that would become Japan had come to be the home of the curious creatures known as humans. Susanoo had sensed his slight hesitation to harm the mortals as a shadow of storm-filled chaos and had sent him to Hachiman – and while Kuroko knew it had been intended as a kindness, it had become a prison. It was sometimes difficult for Kuroko to distinguish which was less brutal- humans or nature- but he'd done his duty without complaint and had risen through Hachiman's ranks just as he had with Susanoo's before him. Eventually, though, he had miscalculated, and Hachiman had no use or mercy for him after that.

Kuroko's fierce loyalty to Sedai Myojin was a complicated thing. After he'd been cast out by Hachiman without first having a new contract in place, he should have died, as the Messenger had pointed out. His continued existence had made him something of a pariah among the kami for a long time until he'd finally regained enough of his strength and found a place with the protector of athletes. In all honesty it was a good fit for him because of his history. There was strategy and battle, a rhythmic connection to nature in the training and development of bodies and minds, and an elemental drive for victory that bound so much of life itself. Kuroko loved it – he'd grown strong again but he'd been more content than he could remember. He'd been free, and for that there was no turning away from his master no matter that theirs was not the most respected domain.

This was in part why he so worried over those like the Kiseki no Sedai. He saw himself, his true self, in them. He would be lying if he completely denied missing the riotous and unrestrained use of his powers– he understood the prodigies' inclinations, the seductive lure of feeling so powerful and exercising these talents while being secure in the knowledge nobody was stronger. However, having felt the loss, the isolation, the utterly painful consequences of not knowing how to work with others for something more constructive, he was continually on guard against these moments that would tempt those down a path he knew had no happy ending. He couldn't make the choice for them, but he could try with everything he had to keep them away from that destiny.

He'd tied his fate to theirs deliberately; he knew the risks better than most. It might only be basketball, they might only be mortal children, but it was merely the latest incarnation of the battle they'd all been fighting since before they could remember with an ever-changing roster of players. And in the depths of his heart, Kuroko had never forgotten what it was like to be a warrior – his battles were different now, but they were no less meaningful.

Nigou found him like that, staring blankly into the air. His soft bark of inquiry needed no translation, he was worried about Kuroko. The phantom looked down at him and met his eyes calmly.

"We might have a problem, Nigou. Do you think you can manage a trip back to the shadow realm so soon?"

The puppy nodded his head and waited patiently as Kuroko gave him a message to deliver. After a moment of concentration, his form began slowly dissolving and Kuroko was proud to see he did it on his first try – he definitely had a lot of potential.

Kuroko went back to their home to wait. He still had to complete his homework – a dreadful invention if there ever was one – and attend to the various obligations his mortal body needed. For now, he had to be happy that things were moving forward. There were new complications with the advent of the Messenger's claim over Haizaki's body and this looming threat from Susanoo, but Kuroko had the protection of his contract and Susanoo couldn't force him to return. Breathing out heavily as he attempted to settle his thoughts, Kuroko tried to concentrate on planning the next phase for ensuring Kise joined the group. Now that they'd agreed to share his talent with Kishijoten, her influence would be mediated by his fundamental athleticism and it should be easier to coax his inherently competitive nature toward the team. He'd have a little time while they took each other's measure, but Kuroko knew that soon the five of them playing together would begin the original cycle of events he was trying to disrupt. So he would have to hope his efforts would be enough, it was both an intensely exciting and frightening prospect really. For tomorrow at least, he knew what he would do. Until Nigou could return with more information, that would have to be enough.


	5. Chapter 5

Susanoo listened calmly as the Messenger reported his observations of Kuroko and his efforts in the mortal realm. The storm lord was a study in contradictions – while his domain covered some of nature's most unruly elements, storms didn't have to be violent. He also brought necessary rain to parched soil, and relief in times of summer heat with cool showers. The seas could destroy but they were also sources of food, entertainment, and transportation. Thus his nature was changeable; he was admittedly unpredictable and this had earned him a reputation as a fearsome kami that was not to be trifled with.

Despite his own range of interests and temperaments, he had trouble reconciling the account of Kuroko that the Messenger brought him; it was just so different from how he knew the spirit to be. Susanoo considered the problem of these mortals that Kuroko was so fascinated with. Truly it was the humans that had begun this whole disaster in the first place. Before they came into being, Kuroko hadn't had a shred of reservation in carrying out his duties. But Susanoo had recognized that times changed; Kuroko had become unfathomably interested in their short, fragile lives. He'd sent the shadow to Hachiman to try to force Kuroko to see the humans differently, but it had eventually backfired. Although Hachiman was the divine protector of Japan, he was also in charge of war, and Susanoo had hoped that those two characteristics would suit Kuroko's disposition just long enough for him to grow tired of the silly creatures. Susanoo hadn't known that Hachiman had intended to release Kuroko's contract without offering him the option to find another master to serve; it had never been the storm lord's goal for Kuroko to die and he'd been secretly relieved that the shadow had somehow survived. It was incredibly rare for shadows to have that strength and it had renewed his interest in the other spirit.

But Kuroko had proved to be unbelievably difficult to track down in the centuries after his expulsion from the war god's service. Over time, Susanoo had even forgotten about Kuroko, until one day word had eventually reached him that the shadow had bound himself to Sedai Myojin. Initially Susanoo had thought nothing of it; he'd allow Kuroko time to regain more strength in that position and offer him the chance to rejoin his service. Susanoo had been sure Kuroko would leap at the opportunity, but instead the offer had been politely rebuffed and the once-legendary shadow had contented himself in a role that did not make full use of his talent. It defied logic.

One by one the images of these so-called 'Miracles' floated through his mind. They were powerful, certainly, but what was Kuroko truly after here? It was unfortunate, however at times the gifts he and his fellow kami bestowed proved too strong for their hosts, they'd all seen it at various times in their history. There was something more to this endeavor than simply keeping the talents alive and thereby bringing status to his master, yet Susanoo wasn't sure what it was. He knew Kuroko to be determined and that he hated to lose in any situation, but Susanoo was genuinely baffled by the Messenger's report that Kuroko had intervened so drastically in this case.

The Messenger waited patiently while his master was thinking. Despite his mercurial nature, he was just as loyal to Susanoo as Kuroko was to Sedai Myojin. He didn't like the shadow, but if his master was interested in Kuroko, then he would continue this mission however he was directed.

"Messenger, what is your assessment of the one called Aomine?"

He looked surprised at this question and his puzzlement must have shown because Susanoo deigned to clarify before insisting on his answer. "Your use of Haizaki is impressive and it has made me think that I would like another hold over Kuroko's interests. You can borrow Haizaki because you're a fox spirit but we can't claim him because his gift is not of my realm nor is his energy of my season. The options are limited as Murasakibara was born under the autumnal auspices and Akashi is a winter child. Kise, Midorima, and Aomine are all summer children but we have restrictions since seasonal auras are among the weakest claims to human talent. Kise's already doubly claimed so we can't interfere with him, it would bring too much attention to the situation. And Midorima…his nature is too incompatible with mine even to have been born in my season. Aomine has the volatile nature of one that could be influenced by my domain. Although Kuroko probably hasn't made the connection yet, that is perhaps one reason as to why he is so drawn to Aomine in particular, it's that trace element of his first contract with me."

The Messenger understood then and answered his master. "Aomine is like the others in that he is strong, but his gift is more directly connected with his identity than it is with the other four. They apply their talents to a sport they enjoy, but for Aomine, basketball is who he is. It is likely why he bloomed so dramatically ahead of the others in the moment that they originally came to Kuroko's attention. As a group, they enjoy basketball and it has different meanings for each of them, but in some sense Aomine will be the hardest for Kuroko to manage because the damage of seeing his gift, and therefor himself, as so severely isolating will hit him harder."

Susanoo nodded slowly. "He is like a wild thing tamed only by his own whims; it is possible I could claim him. For now we'll leave him be, but do keep an eye on him. I know Kuroko will hold off returning here as long as possible to avoid a meeting with me, but he can't stay away forever. I think, perhaps it would be best, if you could force him to use more energy quickly so that he will need to return sooner."

A small, crafty grin crossed the Messenger's face at this idea. "I would be only too happy to help."

Picking up on his servant's tone, Susanoo smiled. "Someday I will insist that you tell me the origin of the feud between the two of you."

There was no element of playfulness in the Messenger's evasive reply, "It is something that we may even have forgotten ourselves, but it will likely exist as long as we do."

Susanoo laughed softly at that. "I am sure you remember quite well, but it is not important for me to know at the moment. Still, if it helps motivate you in this task, that's all to the better. Go, then."

The Messenger shot him a look; it was only his long-standing service to Susanoo that allowed him such a privilege. "You could just go visit him yourself if it is such a rush. But I know you are loath to leave the kami realm so I will do my best to ensure Kuroko expends his energy more quickly." He left after a moderately respectful bow – his personality was not one for obsequious gestures, but the Messenger did hold Susanoo in high esteem and he knew his obligations to his master.

After his servant departed, Susanoo idly summoned a viewing sphere. He tuned it to the humans that Kuroko was so worried about. Kuroko himself was shielded from his view and would be unless he was with one of these more easily tracked targets. Not that it really mattered; he knew roughly where the shadow was and so could keep tabs on him with a less direct method thanks to his servant's strategic use of Haizaki's body. But as the colors of their hair passed by in an abbreviated rainbow, he was struck by the amusing thought that these humans only knew Kuroko as a weakling. They didn't even realize Kuroko could have outpaced them all if he hadn't set such absurd restrictions on his powers during this mission. And then Susanoo wondered how far Kuroko was willing to go to keep that part of his identity a secret from his new friends…it would bear mentioning when the shadow was finally forced to meet with him. The storm lord had no doubt that his own servant would ensure Kuroko's return would happen sooner, rather than later.

_-Meanwhile, in the human realm-_

When Kuroko woke up the next morning he couldn't immediately determine what was different, but something felt off. As he gained a greater hold on consciousness, it occurred to him the dwelling felt emptier than it had before – Nigou was still gone, then. It was amazing how quickly he'd grown accustomed to sensing the other shadow's energy in their home.

As he went about his morning routine to prepare for school, Kuroko thought about the Messenger's use of Haizaki's body. The kitsune had been speaking truthfully when he'd mentioned their personalities suited one another. Kuroko had been wary when he'd first taken note of the gray-haired teen; his ability was difficult to trace but it was certainly formidable. It was athletic, yet Kuroko didn't sense that Sedai Myojin was the origin of the stealing ability; rather it seemed Haizaki had simply fallen into athletics and the gift had taken form appropriately. He wasn't sure because he hadn't spent a great deal of time with Haizaki, but he rather suspected that his talent was a gift from Daikokuten; whose theft of fortune ritual might explain this ability. It was a little unusual; the household god didn't often bless those like Haizaki. As far as Kuroko could tell though, that gift of stealing other blessings for his own use and the ongoing good fortune on his behalf were most likely to be attributed to Daukokuten's auspices.

The kitsune wouldn't keep permanent control over Haizaki, but unless Kuroko was severely mistaken, his rival did not intend to let this mission go smoothly. Susanoo's interest notwithstanding, the two servants had no love lost between them and it wouldn't surprise Kuroko in the least to see the other spirit take a more active role now that he knew Kuroko could still sense him. He frowned as he wondered how much he needed to prepare against this new development.

Lacking more concrete information, Kuroko could only continue on to school as usual. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the day, he ran into no errant spirits, no members of the basketball team, nor even a hostile faculty member. He joined the afternoon practice feeling strangely disappointed at the lack of confrontation, not that he'd had a firm plan in place, but it still seemed anticlimactic in some way. Practice was routine; club members were divvied up into training squads for stretches, drills, running, and scrimmage. Kuroko found himself grouped with the starting lineup and he was pleased to see them all working hard – as if somehow renewed from their recent victory.

Midorima drew him aside at the end of practice and after giving him a hard stare, asked for his sign and blood type. Kuroko was surprised by this request but offered up the information that accompanied his human form readily enough.

"Your lucky item for today is a photo album and you're in the middle of the rankings today. Yesterday you were ranked at the bottom, so I must assume your skills are genuine to have managed to perform as well as you did. But I regret it is unlikely we can be friends with our incompatible blood types." He conveyed this information with all the seriousness of one explaining a fatal illness.

Kuroko was not fazed by this pronouncement. He was more sympathetic to Midorima's perspective than many others would be; being as well-versed as he was in the fickleness of providence and the importance of doing everything you could to curry favor with fate. It did cause a brief flare of distress for his human side, but as he'd so recently resolved to attempt to keep his distance from them anyway, he tamped down on that aspect of his consciousness.

"I hope we can be allies in basketball, at least, Midorima-kun, despite our blood types."

"Naturally. I do everything I can to ensure success and that means adjustments must be made at times." With a final, serious nod, the bespectacled teen moved away.

Inwardly, Kuroko smiled fondly. Midorima was an earnest soul, and for all that his years were young, his serious nature lent him a gravity of one far more mature. In some ways, it was a pity he was born in this era; he would have made an excellent imperial advisor. Then again…Kuroko's eyes found Akashi…that role may have been inevitable for him anyway.

When Kuroko returned home, he saw Nigou waiting eagerly. The puppy bounded over to him and was wagging his tail excitedly – he clearly wanted to tell Kuroko the news.

"Welcome back, Nigou. You look pleased."

The other shadow fairly wriggled in agreement and sent Kuroko his report with a small cloud of shadow energy. Kuroko raised an eyebrow, "Did someone teach you that during your trip?"

Nigou nodded his head and followed it up with an image of one of Kuroko's subordinates. The elder shadow made a note to thank him for his efforts. Until Nigou gained more experience for other channels, this method was an efficient way to transmit information.

As he took in the news from the kami realm Kuroko understood why Nigou was satisfied. His staff had found a drastic measure to counter the kitsune's presence, and while it was not one he wanted to use so early, it was reassuring to know it existed. There was also information, although it was more rumor than confirmed fact, as to what Susanoo intended with him. Kuroko frowned at this portion, it didn't quite add up with what he expected so he would continue on the path of caution just to be safe.

When he was done he looked down at Nigou but the puppy was too excited and jumped up at him so that Kuroko needed to catch him. It was an understandably celebratory moment and Kuroko felt himself cheered by the undisguised joy in Nigou.

"You're not wrong. But we aren't out of danger yet. We'll need to keep an eye out for Susanoo's spy. And Kise still hasn't made a move to join the team. I thought he would come by today after seeing the game. Perhaps we will observe him tomorrow and see if we can lure him back to the gym." And so it was mutually agreed upon as a plan and the two of them both felt more hopeful as to their chances of dealing with the vexing Messenger.


	6. Chapter 6

I've Been Here the Whole Time

Chapter 6

Kuroko made it all the way through third period the next day before he was struck by a sense that he was being watched. He made no obvious motion in response, but silently sent out small tendrils of energy to evaluate the potential threat. He was unsurprised to recognize the energy signature as that of the Messenger, however Kuroko was definitely puzzled by the blatant, yet passive, observation – it was not at all like the other to do such a thing. While he kept his guard up, without a more direct threat there was little he could do. Kuroko reached out with his senses to check on Nigou. The puppy was following Kise with the goal to subtly direct him toward the gym that afternoon and all seemed fine on that front.

He considered his options carefully before deciding to slip out of the classroom. There was no danger of being noticed as his classmates and teachers constantly forgot he was there anyway. Kuroko could feel the Messenger trailing him as he moved through the corridors and he was clearly amused by Kuroko's actions. Kuroko decided to head to the roof for this confrontation and made his way there swiftly.

When he closed the door that lead to the roof and turned around, he saw the Messenger waiting for him. He'd taken Haizaki's body again and it made Kuroko flinch. The kitsune noticed his reaction and smiled. It wasn't even close to friendly.

"I told you he made a good vessel. Does it really disturb you so greatly to see me in this body? I suppose I could switch to another form out of regard for your feelings." The Messenger's borrowed form shimmered and he easily assumed another's appearance. The speed with which he transformed told Kuroko that the Messenger wasn't being particularly careful with his host's body; Haizaki would be exhausted later and he wouldn't even know why. That concern was quickly driven from his mind as he took in the new visage the Messenger had chosen. It was the body of the warrior-priest that had betrayed Kuroko and led to his exile.

As he saw the other's choice and replied to the kitsune, Kuroko's voice was absolutely empty yet the warning was understood nonetheless. "You are of course free to take whatever form you wish, that is your privilege. But if this encounter is not meant to lead to an immediate battle between us, I would advise you take a less provocative form for the duration."

The kitsune laughed in response. "You've completely lost your sense of humor, Kuroko-sama. Not that it was ever very strong to begin with. Very well then." He abandoned that manifestation and took on a body that Kuroko didn't particularly recognize, but he was perfectly acquainted with both the hostility in the eyes and the powerful aura surrounding the other.

"Better, Kuroko-sama? It isn't like you to be so obvious with your reactions – it quite gives away your sore points you know. I'm not sure all of this time in the human realm is good for you, it appears to be robbing you of one of your strengths." The playful malice in the Messenger's words grated on Kuroko's nerves and he could feel his temper rising.

Despite his irritation, Kuroko's reply was calm. "You know I don't want to meet with Susanoo. There is no point in your continuing to be here."

The Messenger's answer was laden with a faux-sympathy. "Naturally I understand your position, however I'm afraid I will have to disagree. I'm here on specific orders as a matter of fact. I decided to offer you a last warning, or perhaps courtesy, by visiting. Susanoo's instructed me to…distract you, Kuroko-sama. By which he means for me to force you to use your reserves more quickly and return to our home. I'm sure you know the purpose of that."

Kuroko nodded. "I do. But even if you succeed in making me return, you can't force me to meet with Susanoo."

There was a sly expression in the Messenger's eyes as he looked as his rival. "Well, not as such, no...we can't force you to see him. And yet Susanoo wishes for you to return. Badly enough to direct me here to hurry things along, in fact. So would you really expect he doesn't anticipate you won't want to go see him when you eventually return? Think of your history together, Kuroko-sama, maybe you'll understand then."

It didn't take long for Kuroko to grasp the implications and his lips thinned with angered frustration. "An aura blockade, then? To prevent me from returning to this realm until I see him?"

A cheerful nod was offered in acknowledgement. "I'll admit it's a dirty trick, but times being what they are…a kami's got to do what a kami's got to do. While you could, of course, just pout and stubbornly refuse to confront him and simply stay in the kami world, we both know there's a problem with that plan. Your artificial human consciousness would eventually take over that body completely and events would play out similarly to the original timeline you sought to interrupt; especially now that you're so close to getting the other one to join the team. You could avoid all that, of course, if you'd just hear him out. It really would save everyone so much trouble."

In that moment Kuroko felt an almost overwhelming wave of fatigue overtake him and he swayed lightly before looking at the Messenger with astonishment. The calmly ruthless expression in the other's eyes warned Kuroko that he had been unforgivably careless – the Messenger's attack had already begun.

His voice was filled with a quiet contempt as he dispassionately observed the shadow's reaction to the energy drain. "You've definitely lost your edge, Kuroko-sama. I would never have been able to do this before, let alone so easily. I truly don't understand what Susanoo sees in you anymore, however I know my obligations and I fulfill them. You will return to the other realm; from there, it's up to you how long you hold out."

As Kuroko felt his reserves rapidly draining he took a risk and used some of the precious remainder of his powers to contact Nigou with a message. It was the last thing he had energy for before he collapsed into unconsciousness on the roof. He could feel the violent separation of his shadow self from his mortal body as he was flung back into the kami realm – it was one of the safeguards set in place to protect shadow spirits if they became too weak to return home by their own power, but it could also be used as a weapon against them in cases like this one.

When he passed through the barrier into the spirit world, Kuroko immediately felt two competing sensations. The first was the flood of energy rushing back into his system as he was automatically connected to the reservoir of this world. The second was a sharp clamp on his aura that told him Susanoo's barrier had already been set up. He was back at full power, but it was useless in terms of something like interdimensional transport until Susanoo lifted the restriction.

The Messenger was patiently waiting nearby for him to get his bearings again; he had no need to attack Kuroko any further now that he was back in this realm. When Kuroko sighed quietly, it was an acknowledgment that he had grossly underestimated the Messenger who had probably instigated the energy drain when he first let Kuroko know of his presence. The kitsune smiled, he understood the compliment the sound conveyed. The two of them had been enemies for far too long to be immune to recognizing when one of them had the upper hand and for now, it was his turn.

"Welcome home, Kuroko-sama. What will you do now?" While the Messenger was currently ahead in their ongoing rivalry, his voice was strangely neutral at the moment, at most it held a mild curiosity. Perhaps it was awareness that this was just another round in their contentious relationship and the next time might well be Kuroko's victory. Or maybe it was something else entirely, but what mattered more was the understanding that was born of their centuries of fighting one another – the Messenger knew that no matter how stubborn Kuroko was and wanted to avoid seeing Susanoo, he cared about those humans more than his own pride and he would give in. It was just a question of when that would be.

For all that Kuroko was energized from the return; he felt burdened with the weight of knowing what came next and answered tiredly. "Over two thousand years of avoiding the reunion and I get trapped by a damned fox on a school rooftop. There's a lesson here, but I'll worry about it later. Very well, let's go meet Susanoo."

The kitsune chuckled. "Sometimes I could almost like you, Kuroko-sama. If we weren't enemies, that is."

Kuroko didn't reply. There wasn't really anything he could say. The Messenger merely shrugged and by unspoken agreement they began making their way to Susanoo's home. It took only moments to travel there – both of them were skilled spirits after all. Kuroko stared impassively at the building when he manifested in front of it; he was more than familiar with this place for all that it had been a very long time since he'd been here. The kitsune appeared next to him and they entered together before proceeding to Susanoo's receiving room.

They were ushered in quickly and it did not escape Kuroko's notice that no other retainers were present. This was a private meeting, then. He didn't know what to make of that and so after making his bow to his former master, he waited silently. The only sound was the echo of the waves from the ocean beyond the window.

A brief stillness was maintained before Susanoo finally laughed. "It would seem you have not lost your nerve, Kuroko. I admit I am surprised you were bested so quickly, but it suits my purpose." He turned toward the Messenger. "Thank you for your work. Please wait outside until I call you again."

The other spirit nodded and exited, leaving Kuroko alone with Susanoo. The two of them observed each other; while their appearances were technically unchanged through the centuries they were clearly different from the last time they'd met. After a moment Susanoo indicated with a wave that he should sit across from him and Kuroko accepted the invitation. Refreshments appeared in the space between them and still without speaking they began to fill plates and cups with the easy familiarity they'd earned too many millennia ago to really be able to count. While Kuroko had not arrived willingly, they both knew that Susanoo would not harm him there – the storm lord was many things but he had his own brand of honor.

"Why?" Susanoo's eventual question was soft and to anyone else it might have seemed impossibly vague, but Kuroko knew exactly what he was asking. Why hadn't Kuroko returned to Susanoo after Hachiman threw him out? Why had he instead waited centuries to gain enough strength to seek out a place with Seidai Myojin? Why was he again making such a poor choice by trying to save these humans?

Despite knowing that Susanoo would ask this, it still took Kuroko a few moments to gather his thoughts. He hadn't really envisioned ever having to speak to Susanoo again, which in retrospect had been foolishly naïve. Although he did not have to answer Susanoo, they both knew he would. "At first, it was all I could do to stay alive. There were few thoughts or instincts beyond simply making it to the next moment. Certainly there was no energy to waste on planning to return anywhere. I existed, and that was all I knew. Once I got past that stage I did consider returning here, but something inside me had changed. I know you weren't informed that I was going to be cast out without a chance to find a new contract first. Lord Hachiman was completely clear and calm when he explained what he was going to do in response to my failure."

Susanoo interrupted him here, "Then why didn't you come back? I would have reinstated you – the only reason you were sent there in the first place was my hope you'd realize you wanted to work here again. You didn't have to work solely in the violent storms, you know. My domain is more expansive than that."

Kuroko looked up at Susanoo before he continued. "I wouldn't be able to avoid it and I would have grown resentful of myself and you. I didn't want to do this again. Or, perhaps more accurately, I didn't want to  _let_  myself do this again. It's something I miss, but for whatever the reason, I am attached to the humans. I can't see them as collateral damage in the chaos of the storms and seas any longer yet I would have easily been caught back up in the cycle. Despite that, I am still competitive and can't completely separate myself from that part of my nature. Once I was strong enough to plan, I knew I needed a different direction. It wasn't until Seidai Myojin was given dominion over athletes that I wondered if I could…repurpose myself."

The storm lord looked at him for a long moment before flatly commenting, "You're not going to come back, are you?"

Kuroko closed his eyes briefly. "I can't. And you don't need me. It's just the curiosity of my survival that's held your attention."

"I am sorry to hear you say that, Kuroko. I value you for far more than your status as a collectible. Despite this absurd limit you've currently set on yourself, you were always one of my strongest and most valued allies and if I didn't make that clear enough for you to consider coming back here, I apologize. Still, 'never' is a long time even for one of us. The offer remains open, but for now I won't force it. The other reason I wanted to speak with you is to give you a warning. While Mayuzumi's punishment ended several centuries ago, this is the first time you have been so exposed since then. I have heard rumors he plans to come after you, possibly through these humans you're trying to protect. And don't underestimate him, Kuroko. Mayuzumi has trained with several kami since his release to prepare for this encounter."

Of all the things Kuroko might have expected to hear from Susanoo that was among the absolute last he would have guessed. The name brought up a wave of painful memories, perhaps spurred by the Messenger's so recent assumption of his form. Mayuzumi Chihiro…the warrior that had deceived him and set in motion so many unhappy events. Kuroko had been told by some well-meaning colleague that after Kuroko had been exiled, Mayuzumi had been tried before a court of the kami for breaking his agreement with Kuroko. Ida-ten, the god of law and justice, had defended Kuroko  _in absentia_  and was in large part responsible for why Kuroko hadn't been permanently banned from the kami realm altogether when it had been brought to light he'd somehow survived the expulsion.

Mayuzumi had been found guilty and sent to a spirit prison for several centuries. He'd still been there when Kuroko had finally found his way into Seidai Myojin's service, so Kuroko was not terribly surprised to hear that the other was angry. Mayuzumi had gained what he wanted when he'd betrayed Kuroko; he'd taken the powers of a shadow spirit for himself rather than help his people as a mortal. With it he'd gained the same long-life that Kuroko and his brethren had, and he'd also become subject to the laws of the kami realm, including punishment at their discretion.

Kuroko was silent as he considered this information. He didn't need further complications but he would have to deal with Mayuzumi at some point. "Thank you for the warning. I will have to give this some thought."

Susanoo smiled and it was tinged with both pride and regret. "You have changed. You are more cautious now than you used to be."

"Today's events notwithstanding, I usually am. May I assume that you and the Messenger won't be interfering after today, then?"

The storm lord nodded. "Well, not officially anyway, although I am still curious as to why they are so important to you. I had plans to get your attention through Aomine if you didn't return soon, however the Messenger was more efficient than I anticipated. The feud between the two of you is far beyond my orders, though. He may well decide to occasionally cause trouble for you, that's part of who he is."

"I'm aware." The answer, so laconically delivered, prompted another but more genuine smile from Susanoo.

"He wouldn't tell me the origin of your dispute with one another. I suspect you won't either, hmm?"

Kuroko shrugged and shook his head. "One day it might need to be shared. Not today, though."

This signaled it was time for a change in topic and they managed to stay fairly amicable with one another. They had much to catch up on, after all. But there were a few tense moments when their opinions clashed. Finally they wound around to Kuroko's current project. Susanoo, like so many others who had heard of Kuroko going to the human world, was puzzled by his actions.

Susanoo's next question might have seemed idle, yet they both knew it wasn't. "And how far will you go to save your humans, Kuroko? Mayuzumi's been on both the human and shadow side of the powers now; he could probably get at least one of them interested in a similar plan to what he pulled with you. Will you really risk so much for them? It's just a game, after all."

Kuroko's lips twisted into a something that might have been a smile if it wasn't carrying so much unhappiness. "Knowing Mayuzumi might enter the fray doesn't really change anything; I already had to win with all five of them. It's a game, yes, and it's more than that. The gifts they have are who they are. I'm not just saving five athletes so that they can keep playing basketball. That's what they'll do in the short term, and then it's so much more. They'll inspire others; they'll grow from here and go on to do amazing things with the skills and confidence they acquire. But not if it is taken away from them or becomes too great a burden. As for how far I'll go, I don't know my limit, Susanoo."

Susanoo waited to see if Kuroko would continue but it seemed he was finished. So he asked something else. "Do you remember your origin, Kuroko?" Not all shadows could, however Kuroko was stronger than most.

Kuroko looked at him and nodded. "I remember a moment of stillness before erupting from a typhoon and immediately grabbing hold of the wind. It was dark in the cyclone and then I was both a part of it and beyond it."

Susanoo smiled. "Yes. You were part of a special cohort; something like you'd call your Kiseki no Sedai in fact. I'm one of the few kami that even remember such things now, but I suspect it's why you had the strength to survive your exile. It is in your nature, more so than most of the shadows in my service, to find affinity with powerful forces – it was how you came to be, after all. However, as with all such dynamics, there can't be a constant embattlement, it's not sustainable. So perhaps your determination to help these humans is the other side of that coin. It doesn't really matter; I can tell you are set on this course."

Kuroko pondered the storm lord's words for a few minutes. He hadn't really questioned why he was this way. He knew at some point he'd veered away from the collective shadows in service to Susanoo, yet it had been something of a mystery as to why he began to question those policies; force and power, the elements of victory, made them the strongest and therefor absolute – so why did Kuroko grow uneasy? Perhaps there was no simple answer to the question, but it reflected the same pattern he saw time and again in the athletes he had been watching over for so many centuries.

"Will you void the barrier and let me return, then?"

Susanoo stared at him for a long moment and there was nothing in his expression to give away his thoughts. Finally he answered his former servant. "I would like for you to stay. I can tell you are going to do something foolish. Yet another part of me wants to see what happens. I will lift the barrier so you may return. Be as careful as you can and don't forget what you are, Kuroko. They think you're a weakling with one unique talent and if you don't keep them in line they'll forget you exist before you even have a chance to show them this path you want for them."

Kuroko bowed with a sincere level of respect to him before answering. "Thank you. I understand and I will do my best."

He left and passed along Susanoo's permission for the Messenger to reenter. The kitsune looked at him consideringly before he reentered the room. "I knew you still wouldn't return to his service. I don't understand it, but I knew it. I assume that since you are leaving Susanoo has endorsed your little project but that changes nothing between us. I'm not relinquishing Haizaki completely. I'll be keeping tabs on you."

His quiet reply, tinged with resignation and weariness, followed the Messenger into the room. "I would expect nothing less." It was sometimes difficult for even the two of them to remember that they had once been friends. That had been long ago, though, before the Messenger had lost his name and Kuroko had fallen from grace. Whatever name the Messenger had adopted for himself after that had been entrusted only to Susanoo. And Kuroko couldn't blame him really. Hadn't his own misplaced trust ruined things, in its own way?

It wasn't the time or the place to indulge such sentiments, though. Kuroko needed to get back to the human realm. If his message had gotten through to Nigou then hopefully the younger shadow would have been able to move his mortal body out of the way. It wouldn't do for the unconscious form to be found on the roof, but he would deal with it if he needed to.

He took a bracing breath. So many things to juggle and today had only added to the circus. But he would handle it; it was his job to do so after all. He felt the loosening of the restriction as he approached the barrier and set his course to realign with his mortal body. Kuroko was relieved that when he opened his eyes he was in his home with Nigou standing guard – the message had gone through, then.

At Nigou's anxious bark of inquiry, Kuroko began recounting the events of the day. When he finished he asked about Kise. Nigou confirmed that Kise had gone back to the gym today and he'd joined the team. The blond had been placed on the second string, but it was clear he would rapidly ascend. Kuroko sighed in relief, that was something at least.

Because he'd missed so much of the day he had to do some damage control. First he'd sent Akashi and Aomine an apologetic text saying he'd been ill and that's why he'd missed practice; the redhead had offered wishes for a speedy recovery and to be kept informed if he needed anything while Aomine sympathized. Then he completed the homework for his first three classes; he would have to get the notes from someone else for the lessons he'd missed. He wasn't particularly worried about not doing the assignments, he'd set himself up to be a fairly average student anyway.

Sleep eluded Kuroko for most of the night. He stared at the ceiling and considered his options – he didn't like any of them. It would be a long while before he finally fell asleep and Nigou watched worriedly as Kuroko slept fitfully. He wasn't truly afraid that Kuroko would fail; however, having talked with other shadows as they passed through the area and gathering snippets of gossip from them, Nigou had a much better understanding of not only Kuroko's reputation but also the gravity of the situation at hand. It wasn't going to be easy, by any means. Sleep may have eventually claimed him as well, yet there was nothing peaceful about it.

The two shadows would both awake feeling worse for wear, and Kuroko's somewhat haggard appearance added credence to his claim of being ill. But there was no less determination in him today than there had been before. He'd meant every word of his conversation with Susanoo and his goal was, as always, tied to the progress of the Kiseki no Sedai and what they represented – for both the present and the future.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke
> 
> Thanks for reading! Welcome to Chapter 7, I hope you like it :)
> 
> A/N: I mention "magatama" here – Wikipedia tells me they are jewels/beads that came to have religious significance within Shinto, but more on this in another chapter when it's more relevant. (ooo, don't you like my vague foreshadowing? =^^=)

I've Been Here the Whole Time

Chapter 7

Having learned his lesson from his rather embarrassing encounter with the Messenger, Kuroko knew he had to consider how best to take precautions. He'd grown lax and ignored instituting basic defensive measures for himself, the Kiseki no Sedai, or even Nigou. With Susanoo's caution still ringing in his ear, he began giving serious thought as to how Mayuzumi might approach him and realized he was far more at risk than he'd anticipated. Kuroko had spent little time evaluating his own vulnerability in that regard; everything that he had set in place had been to further his agenda with the prodigies and he'd forgotten anything else. He couldn't afford to remain so careless.

He didn't have to worry too greatly about Nigou. The younger shadow spirit had no self-imposed restrictions on his powers; even as nascent as they were he had sufficient command of his magic to evade most attacks. It was only a matter of teaching him how to monitor his surroundings and they worked on strengthening his overall command of shadow techniques. The little shadow improved rapidly and even met with other shadows while Kuroko was away during the day to continue training – he didn't want to be a burden.

As for himself, Kuroko knew the Messenger would still be in the picture at least some of the time simply for spite if nothing else. He was reassured as to Susanoo's motives, and he didn't think he had any other enemies that would be specifically targeting him at this time. He was self-aware and realistic enough to know that he wasn't universally liked; he'd been alive too long for that to be possible. However, as with most of the beings in either mortal or kami realms, the animosities anyone harbored were usually more simmering feuds than anything else.

It wasn't until he turned his attention back to the humans that he felt uneasy. If Mayuzumi were to attack him, they were the best route to truly harm him. Even though they had not seen each other since Mayuzumi's betrayal, Kuroko knew the other shadow would recognize the situation as quite similar to the one he'd taken advantage of himself. The only real difference was that rather than the humans having asked for his help, he'd intervened without their knowledge.

While Kuroko could certainly monitor them with a small enchantment they wouldn't even notice, he wasn't sure he wanted to. It would give him access to far too much of their private lives and he couldn't help but think it might inadvertently give him an unfair advantage in his attempt to sway them away from their potential character changes. Finally, after much internal debate, he reached a compromise. He did attach a monitoring charm to each of the prodigies, but he set the connection to reach his staff in the kami realm. After reviewing the plans, Kuroko also attached one to Momoi; she was too close to Aomine to be ignored. If there was an emergency, there would be only a slight delay before they could contact him – otherwise, he would be protected from unduly influencing them with knowledge he shouldn't have.

Although the monitoring spell alleviated some of his worry, Kuroko did not delude himself that it would solve all of his problems. Kuroko hadn't spared much thought for Mayuzumi since learning he'd been imprisoned and that now seemed to be a regrettable lack of foresight. He hadn't been surprised to learn the other had trained with various masters once released – it was a route many shadow spirits took to increase their powers and status – and Mayuzumi had always been consumed with improving his own rank. It did however give him pause when he realized he had no knowledge of who Mayuzumi had served. To rectify this, he'd dispatched a message to one of his colleagues to compile a dossier on the other shadow and he hoped it would be ready quickly.

In the meantime, he relaxed his rule to stay distanced from the Kiseki no Sedai and allowed himself to be drawn into more of their day to day activities. It was a risk, since it meant all the potential targets were together more frequently, but it was a safeguard as well. Kuroko was gaining a greater comfort with their energy and personalities; he wanted to ensure he'd recognize if they were tampered with in some way. He also didn't think Mayuzumi would go for a direct attack, unless he had truly changed from their last meeting, the younger shadow was much more inclined for something devious from the sidelines.

It kept both Kuroko and Nigou on edge, trying to stay vigilant and anticipate how they might thwart whatever was coming their way. There were definite disadvantages to being in the human realm with the restrictions Kuroko had designed. Kuroko didn't truly appreciate that until he received the report he'd commissioned.

His subordinates had been extremely thorough, as he would expect. There was a detailed chronicle of Mayuzumi's movements upon his release and snatches of gossip and rumor about him had been painstakingly collected for his review.

It seemed the human-turned-shadow had not wanted to waste time – among others, he'd briefly contracted with Hachiman. Having served with the war kami himself, Kuroko knew Mayuzumi would have emerged from that service with proficiency in several aggressive magic techniques. That was not what surprised him. Kuroko was instead unable to move away from the portion of the file that indicated Mayuzumi had spent over a century working for the baku clan. While the dream eating spirits were respected among the supernatural hierarchy, this placement – by far from his first – showed Mayuzumi had wanted to learn something in particular from them. Kuroko mentally reviewed what he knew of the spirits; they were more neutral than anything else. They were spirits human children called out to when woken by a nightmare to eat the bad dream and allow them to return to sleep. But they sometimes, though rarely, ate more by taking someone's hopes and dreams as well. Such victims led empty, listless lives, unable to do more than go through the motions – they were universally pitied.

As Kuroko took in Mayuzumi's history altogether, he knew that his nemesis had worked very hard in the centuries since he'd been released and his path seemed clearly marked for vengeance. Kuroko couldn't quite tell what the plan was yet, he had only pieces of a broader picture. But he did know that it was very likely that Mayuzumi was near his own strength now, something that had changed from the last time they'd met.

The next few days passed in a relatively routine fashion, the basketball team was working together and Kuroko could see that at this stage the prodigies merely enjoyed the potential they'd found with each other. It wouldn't be until Thursday that he encountered the next shock; for all that the day had started innocuously enough. Kuroko had sent Nigou to learn more about Mayuzumi's time among the baku clan, so his apartment should have been empty when he returned at the end of the day. It was not.

He sensed the unknown energy well before he got there, the visitor was making no effort to hide their presence so Kuroko accepted this figure either meant him no harm, or was powerful enough that it didn't care if Kuroko knew ahead of time. He debated not returning, but the patient watchfulness that he could feel from the being made him aware it would merely be delaying the inevitable. So he centered himself as best he could, readying himself for conflict as he made his way to his own door. He didn't bother trying to mask his own presence; he knew he was outclassed in this contest.

When he entered and saw Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto waiting in his apartment, you could have knocked him over with a feather. The moon god had long black hair and wore pale garments etched with symbols that predated even Kuroko's long-standing existence. He was tall and slender but there seemed to be a strength to him that spoke of the risk of challenging him – he was the more subtle of the celestial lights when compared to his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu, but the cutting chill of the moon was nothing to scoff at. He was still and quiet, waiting patiently for Kuroko to remember his manners most likely which he soon managed to do – offering a deep bow and words of welcome.

Kuroko had never seen him in person before and when the kami spoke his voice was a clear but distant chime that actually made Kuroko afraid. While he sensed no malice from the god, he sensed no particular favor either and it was the ambiguity that left him tensed in worry despite what he actually said.

"Be calm. I am not your enemy, Kuroko. I'm here as a favor to someone else." His presence was difficult to pin down, he seemed simultaneously gentle and cruel – it wasn't quite neutral, merely a capacity for the extremity of either and it disoriented even Kuroko.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was in no hurry to continue though, his silvery eyes merely staring at Kuroko as if taking his measure. When he spoke next, it wasn't the reason for his visit, but something else.

"Did you know I used to hold first dominion over shadow spirits, Kuroko? It was something Amaterasu and I would fight over – before Susanoo tricked us both out of them of course. That was eons ago though and the lines have long since blurred so that your kind is found among all the kami now, but it used to be different. You probably don't know this, but because of that prior claim, I could see you when you were banished. All the shadows are paired to light in some form, even if you were created from the wilder elements that Susanoo turned to when he took the power for himself. I wasn't going to interfere. It was Hachiman's right to expel you if he chose. But then you survived. And I was curious." His hand moved, slowly and as if he had all the time in the world, as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto brought forth a viewing orb and with an absent flick of his hand, sent it to hover in the air between them.

Kuroko's eyes automatically went to it and he was somehow unsurprised to see it held a captured image of himself, from centuries ago when he'd been little more than a whisper of energy after his banishment. He didn't have clear memories of most of that time, but he knew who it was as surely as if it had been a mirror of his current form. He met the moon god's eyes curiously; this didn't really tell him much beyond that the other had known who he was.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto smiled in acknowledgement. "You wish to know the point? How impatient you youngsters are these days..." Kuroko flinched at hearing himself referred to that way, but he couldn't deny the moon god was far older than he was. But Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto continued soon enough. "I mentioned I am here as a favor. Your case created a surprisingly contentious divide. Many felt Hachiman was too rash, that you had proven yourself valuable enough before your spectacular failure to warrant mercy. Others, myself included, felt it wasn't our concern – you'd entrusted your contract to him after all. But one among the former is someone that now wishes to make a trade."

The moon kami paused and briefly smiled but there was just a hint of aggression to the gesture. "I offer you the first part free of obligation. It is knowledge you may do with what you like. Your current plan will fail, Kuroko. I am not the only one that has read it as such. You cannot change the fate designed for them through their time together at this school. You already know what will happen when that failure comes to pass from your foolish binding of destiny between yourself and those humans. However, there is a way to…tweak…your original spell that will allow you more time, and perhaps an advantage. It won't be pleasant for you, but it's your choice of course."

Kuroko understood this was going to be a risk – if he wanted to know more he would have to agree before having the full terms of the trade. But it was something he had already worried over and the temptation to extend his limit wasn't easy to turn down. But he didn't agree immediately; he wasn't so impetuous as that.

"What do you get in return for brokering this trade if it happens?" His tone was still respectful, but he couldn't hide the caution either. The moon god was an extremely powerful kami, for him to be playing the role of intermediary like this meant he wanted something very badly. If the other would answer, it might give him a better idea of his potential ally.

The laugh Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto gave was nearly musical with its mirth. When he stopped, a more genuine smile graced his lips. "You have learned some restraint from your past, I see. Good. Your would-be-benefactor doesn't want you to know their name yet so I won't disclose it. I can tell you my reward easily enough, although I doubt it will mean much to you. I'm looking for a very particular _magatama_ that was used during a ceremony in my honor several hundred years ago. It was stolen from the shrine shortly afterward and never recovered. I want it back. Your patron has it and will give it to me once I convey your response."

It did not escape Kuroko's notice that this was an exceptionally redacted answer. It told him only that the unknown third party was someone with access to difficult to locate items, but that was a very broad starting point. He was also certain the significance of the jewel was greater than a simple ceremonial accessory, but Kuroko had no right to pry. It did however, indicate there was someone quite powerful waiting in the wings if they had the ability to refuse the moon god's desire for this item, or at least delay it according to this trade.

"Can you tell me what they want from me in exchange for the second part?" Kuroko asked this hesitantly, he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted to know.

There was a thoughtful pause as the kami seemed to be thinking over his reply. "It is not so great of an initial sacrifice, really, it is more a risk to your overall goal." The orb flared and the vision of a tall young male with red hair and split eyebrows was shown. "His name is Kagami Taiga. He's another one of your master's special talents, but he's also the descendant of your patron's lineage. The favor is to add his destiny to your care as well as your other prodigies. He lives in America at the moment but he will return to Japan in a few years, he'll come back for what they call high school. That's why the spell will extend your time limit. His ancestor is concerned that his talent might go astray but is...unable to interfere for various reasons. Word of your special project has spread and this seemed tailor made to solve their problem since their line has dwindled. Despite being unable to be more directly involved, they wish to protect this young man if possible. The downside is that this bargain expires once I leave – you must make your choice now."

Kuroko stared at the image in the orb. He of course knew there were prodigies outside of Japan, blessed by the deities of their own lands, or those like Kagami that were Japanese but simply didn't reside there. Kuroko most likely had a file on Kagami somewhere in his office, tagged to activate if he returned to Japan. As he carefully weighed the possibilities in his mind, he was aware this was not so simple. It was true he would benefit from an increased time limit, but he didn't know anything about Kagami and it made it all the more risky to have another fate tied to his own. It was also extremely suspicious that this other entity couldn't interfere, that suggested a few possibilities but none were particularly helpful. Either this was an old lineage indeed that had been bound away from their human descendants, meaning they'd been considered too powerful a force and a group of other kami had cooperated to do this, or it was a kami that was known for denouncing any blending of their two worlds and was afraid of being outed as a hypocrite. Or perhaps Kagami's ancestor wasn't one of the kami per se, he could be descended from another type of spirit that was afraid Kuroko wouldn't treat him the same as the other prodigies – this type of prejudice was not uncommon, for all that Kuroko himself never subscribed to such thinking.

He realized that part of his temptation was a shadow's subservience to a kami – especially one as ancient and powerful as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. But the offer spoke to his own lingering fear that he could not ultimately change the fate of the Kiseki no Sedai, particularly with the complication of Mayuzumi hovering over his head as well. He didn't have to give up on them for now, he could continue trying to redirect them away from arrogance and selfishness, but if he didn't succeed for their middle school destiny – certainly reaching into high school was desirable. But six souls to guide...it was true it was only one more...but he had to have a perfect record for it to work.

The smile on Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's face told Kuroko the kami already knew he would agree and it left a bitter taste in his mouth – his human half reacting to the circumstances at hand. He nodded, and it was enough. Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's eyes lit with a triumph that seemed disproportionate but he quickly subdued it with a nod of his own.

"You will agree to it." His voice was neutral but Kuroko didn't have to hear the eagerness to know it was there.

"I will accept the bargain, yes."

The kami nodded again. "I'll be on my way with the news then, I am sure events will proceed with even more intrigue from this point. I don't know that we will see each other again. Do your best, I would be displeased to learn of your failure." With no further warning, he vanished, and Kuroko could feel an energy vacuum as his powerful presence exited.

Kuroko felt dizzy and weak, he was too used to his own master – a relative youngster among the kami himself – to have been prepared for handling this visit. Even when he was with Susanoo, he'd had his full strength and the protection of years of experience with his particular aura. Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was a different creature altogether and it made him wary of who his partner might turn out to be – had he been too rash? He had no choice now, he could feel the tentative binding of a promise already forming within him – it wasn't the same strength as a full contract of course, but it obligated him to fulfill his half or risk severe consequences.

He sat down, needing to think. Nigou was already away, but he could slip to the shadow realm himself for a moment to see what information about Kagami Taiga was available – it might not come to it, but he had no interest in being disadvantaged any further than he already was. He would go...if he could just rest a moment...

Although he didn't know it, Kuroko passed out then. He would wake hours later, alone and feeling cold for reasons he couldn't quite place. Nigou had not returned. But there was a phantom bangle around his wrist – it showed a pact had been formed and he knew without investigating that he'd been bound while he slept – it seemed Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto had wasted no time conveying his acceptance to the other spirit. It didn't exist in the physical realm, but other spirits could see it and know what it was. It left him feeling wary and haunted, for all that he had agreed to this. It was no comfort to know there would be a matching one on his new ally; he was the one at risk in this after all. He was too tired to think about it any further, whatever the spell was that was coursing through him was taking almost every lest vestige of energy he had as it settled into his being. Kuroko could tell it was reforming something inside of him, a signal of a truly awesome degree of power from someone he had no name for yet. He closed his eyes again and did the only thing he could: he slept again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 8, I hope you like it!

I've Been Here the Whole Time

Chapter 8

Kuroko's eyes next opened when he felt a searing pain in his chest; the agonized gasp that escaped him would have signaled a death knell in a mortal. He couldn't move his limbs. He was paralyzed from some combination of magic and pain, not to mention he had almost no energy to spare on anything so trivial as movement right now. He tried to reach out with his own magic but it was bound, he was essentially helpless. Kuroko looked around as much as he could without being able to really move his head, he was still in his own home, but something felt different.

Although he couldn't call out, someone appeared soon enough. Kuroko was shocked to see the Messenger, even more so when the kitsune came and sat across from him. He'd donned the appearance of another unknown mortal, but Kuroko had no trouble recognizing his presence – the other spirit wasn't making any effort to conceal it anyway.

"You're not very smart, are you, Kuroko?" The other spirit's voice was tired, resigned even, and the fact he'd left off his usual mocking honorific for Kuroko told him something was up.

The kitsune crooked his lips in a half-smile before he continued. "I suppose you can't talk yet. That's not unexpected. Your magic sent out a massive shockwave when that new contract started taking shape, every spirit in Tokyo probably felt it. You're most likely going to be weak for several more days. You've been out for three so far. I've been sharing my reserve with you since you were locked to this realm – whoever your new patron is, I imagine they didn't properly account for your human body – the binding magic of your agreement prevented you from returning to the shadow realm. That's probably why you feel so weak right now. You might not be able to go back until the vow has finished settling in that form."

Kuroko was surprised, it seemed the deal he'd brokered was more taxing than he imagined and Susanoo's servant nodded. "I knew as soon as I got here." He gestured to the band of energy that encircled Kuroko's wrist. "Your new friend is extraordinarily strong to say the very least. The magic they sent to bind you is nothing short of incredible – your own magic sent out a distress signal in response and Susanoo ordered me to stay with you while you recovered. This is the first time you've even moved since I arrived."

He looked critically at Kuroko's aura before shrugging. "You have enough in your reservoir to handle this now…" and with a negligent wave, the kitsune sent a small jolt of energy to Kuroko. It lessened the painful clenching in his chest and allowed him to speak. It wasn't enough to fully restore him, but it allowed Kuroko enough control to at least sit up.

"Thank you." It was all he could manage.

The kitsune shot him a look of disgust. "Don't thank me. I'm only here because Susanoo requested it. And it's your own stupidity that landed you in this spot – who was it anyway? I couldn't read another energy signature when I got here, it was masked by yours."

Kuroko managed a weak shrug. "I don't know. But they sent Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto to arrange the deal."

If the silence was loaded, that was only to be expected. It took a moment before the kitsune answered -his voice carefully neutral. "You don't know who Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was working for. And it didn't seem like a red flag that someone that could send a powerful kami like that on an errand might be dangerous."

Kuroko smiled but it was hesitant and not really about amusement. "I knew it was risky, but it seemed an offer I couldn't pass up."

The kitsune stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face before he stood, looking down at Kuroko's still seated form. "You should be fine now. I taught your little shadow dog a better way to share energy so once he returns you should be able to borrow from him until you can return and replenish your magic on your own. You owe him a debt by the way; he's been coordinating a fairly complicated memory modification shield over those mortals you care so much about so that they wouldn't notice you were gone." He paused for a moment and Kuroko could sense the internal deliberation he was carrying on. Finally, it seemed he reached a conclusion because he spoke again, "Take better care of yourself, Kuroko. If anyone gets to kill you, it had better be me." He left after that, not giving Kuroko a chance to respond.

Those words echoed in his mind, and Kuroko felt a slight smile stretch his lips before he gave it up. He had no energy to spare on such things. Kuroko knew this was a bad sign – he'd had contracts with powerful kami before and of course felt the effects, but this was not the least bit similar to those occasions. He hoped it was as the Messenger suggested and that his unknown partner simply had miscalculated based on his current form. But the uneasy shifting of the foreign magic inside of him felt vaguely ominous somehow and Kuroko couldn't help but suspect he'd signed up for something more dangerous than he'd expected.

Nigou returned a few hours later and made his way over cautiously. Kuroko nodded reassuringly to the small shadow and the dog was soon cuddled next to him. Nigou's magic was fairly low, but the steady hum he shared with Kuroko would keep him going as his own internal stores worked on recovering. Kuroko already knew the trip back to the kami realm would be painful, he wouldn't have the necessary control to prevent it before he'd have to go back.

On the positive side, Nigou had learned several new skills over the past few days and he told Kuroko of his adventures with shy enthusiasm. As he listened, Kuroko realized the Messenger was right, he did owe Nigou a significant debt. Kuroko was particularly impressed with Nigou's initiative, he had little experience with this realm but he'd known that Kuroko's absence would cause trouble. He'd been creative and resourceful during a crisis and from all accounts had handled things splendidly.

On the troubling side, however, Nigou's report of Mayuzumi's time among the baku didn't tell Kuroko enough to determine what Mayuzumi had wanted to learn. Nigou had made contact with the dream eaters and they had only been able to say that Mayuzumi had been dutiful during his tenure there. If he'd been after something in particular, the other spirits had no knowledge of it. Kuroko didn't consider that the least bit reassuring. Mayuzumi was devious and he would have gone to their territory with a goal. To spend a century in their company when all his other assignments were among more aggressive kami and spirits, he was looking for something – a spell, a skill, anything – but unfortunately, Kuroko had no idea what Mayuzumi would want from the baku clan. All he could do was wait until he was stronger. Kuroko thanked Nigou; he'd worked hard while Kuroko had been incapacitated.

It was with some relief, then, that Kuroko's magic finally stabilized enough for him to return home the next day. He couldn't remember feeling so relieved to replenish his energy in quite a long time. Kuroko wasn't there just for this though and he immediately made his way to his department to check the file of one Kagami Taiga.

Kuroko felt uneasy as he read the dossier. It felt…manipulated somehow. Unfortunately, there was no clear evidence to support his suspicion, but Kuroko was unable to let the idea go as he carefully considered the document. Kagami was the same age as those in the Generation of Miracles, he was naturally athletic and had a strong body as well. It seemed his interest in the game had been nurtured through street ball and like Aomine he had the talent and inclination to be a power forward. After that though…Kuroko couldn't quite see it, but there seemed to be something wrong. It was unclear whether information had been added, removed, or adapted – but it didn't seem right somehow. Kuroko gave the file to an auditor and asked the shadow to do more investigation on the issue.

Nigou covered his missed schoolwork that day with a spell that prevented any of his teachers or classmates from noticing his absence, but Kuroko showed up for basketball practice. He felt an unusually strong compulsion to see them today and had to forcibly restrain himself from using his magic to check on them before then. Practice went normally, Kise had settled into the team's dynamics with relative ease after a little adjustment, and all of the starters were responding positively. It was more than what Kuroko had expected, especially as none of them had faced defeat and it didn't look like they would either.

Perhaps he let his guard down for just a fraction of a second, but it seemed that was all that was needed before he heard a whisper in his ear as he watched the others practice – voiced by a presence he couldn't see even if he could sense it.

"My my, Kuroko, it has been a while, has it not? You're looking well, and these pets of yours seem so interesting. We should talk about that, don't you think?" Time froze as Mayuzumi activated a spell that made everything halt in its place. The others were all caught in various poses that made them seem as if they were modelling for an artist trying to sketch athletes at work. Kuroko's human side was affected by the spell, but he wasn't completely helpless as his shadow half was already working to undo the magic.

It didn't matter that Kuroko hadn't heard Mayuzumi's voice since the other had been human - it carried the same inflections of pride and anger that had so characterized the speaker when they first met. Kuroko was involuntarily forced to recall the image of the human he'd encountered then; Mayuzumi's bitterness over the invasion to his lands had forced him to seek alternative solutions. His desperate, frustrated prayers and invocations had caught Kuroko's attention as he'd been part of the war god's attachment at that time. If Mayuzumi hadn't decided he'd rather have Kuroko's type of power for himself, both of their paths would have turned out differently.

The voice turned playful, but it was a vicious type of humor, as it continued. "No, your barrier didn't work. Why would it? I'm a shadow spirit just like you are and I have long since mastered how to conceal my intention to thwart an aura reading gate. I'd be insulted if I cared what you thought of me."

There was a sense of heavy wind and tense pressure for a moment before shadows solidified into the shape of Mayuzumi as he had looked all those centuries ago. He'd even kept his clothing and bore the same talismans and weapons he'd had then. He stared down into Kuroko's face and the blankness that was there was interrupted only by a flicker of disdainful triumph.

"Honestly I'm disappointed. I spent centuries training for this and all it took was a simple paralysis incantation?" His eyes flickered over to the prodigies and he smirked for a moment. "This new breed of warrior also leaves much to be desired, even if that is technically not your domain any longer. They compete for entertainment as I understand it, a strange turn indeed."

Kuroko was only half listening as he carefully evaluated the spell that had hold of him. He didn't get far before a sharp jolt zapped him.

Mayuzumi shook his head. "None of that. I'll release you momentarily. I just wanted to ensure I have your complete attention." He smiled and it just missed being genuine. "I heard you were asking about my time with the baku. I'm glad you realized that's the key, even if it won't do you any good." He husked out a dry laugh as he looked at Kuroko's still form.

"You were never human, not really. Even this sham form you've adopted is all predesigned. Do you even dream like this; I wonder? I don't, not anymore. Yet I remember it, the power and fear and exhilaration…particularly during my time…dreams were truly mysterious things. But your kind, those born in the spirit realm, you don't really understand dreams. Shadow spirits should have a better understanding of dreams, they exist in the same way we do, just out of sight of the mundane world but hinting at the potential for something extraordinary. The baku usually only take the bad ones, yet they could do much more, if they ever thought about it. That's what I was searching for, decade after decade, a unique way to use the power that is mine and not yours." He lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug as if aware Kuroko wouldn't understand.

He pointed toward the prodigies, still frozen in place. "I learned what I wanted. I could destroy them without ever having to lay a hand on them. It's not about taking away the capacity to dream, but simply twisting the connection to their very essence. For humans, dreams are the finite moments when the soul, brain, and heart are simultaneously open – it's why dreaming can be so fantastically terrifying – especially tapping into that when a person is awake. The baku could rule the mortal realm if they weren't content to merely siphon off the nightmares. I knew eventually you would interfere with a human again, you're an abnormal shadow but you're consistent in your own way."

Mayuzumi's eyes gleamed as he thought of something before he continued, composed and seemingly with all the time in the world. "Which is why we're relocating this contest, back to a realm where I expect you to come at me with everything you have. I imagine you're almost through my spell, so listen carefully. I'm taking them, all of them, and offering them the chance to become what I am. More than human and certainly better than you. They'll break, you know they will. And your gamble will be lost."

Kuroko felt a sharp pang of fear, if Mayuzumi took them to the shadow realm and showed them what powers they might acquire, it would be almost impossible to expect them to turn down his offer. Kuroko's senses were trying to unravel the knot of the spell that held him, but Mayuzumi's magic was indeed strong, and Kuroko was out of practice. He couldn't vocalize his protest, yet Mayuzumi read it easily enough in his eyes.

He laughed and it was an ugly sound. "Who should I start with, then? I suppose it doesn't matter. By the time you find me in the other realm, I expect I'll have something interesting to show you. And it won't be long after that until your ridiculous oath will call you to account for yourself – I can't tell you how much I look forward to your trial and judgment. They'll have no choice but to exorcise you again and somehow I doubt you'll manage to make it back a second time." He waved a good-bye and it was nearly playful in its mockery.

Mayuzumi looked over at the five prodigies and smiled again, it was feral and angry, holding all the centuries of distorted bitterness he'd been hoarding since his imprisonment. They were easy pickings for him now. With a nearly lazy spell, Mayuzumi gathered them up to transport them. He closed his eyes as if savoring the moment before murmuring a final taunting farewell.

"Why did you think you could protect all of them at once when you couldn't handle me alone? Isn't it time you just admit your failures? I'll see that admission in your eyes before this is over, Kuroko. That's something I've promised myself. Goodbye for now, try not to disappoint me entirely. I'll be heartbroken if you miss my show altogether after all." And with a wave of hot, nearly scalding energy, Mayuzumi simultaneously released Kuroko from his paralysis and disappeared with the Generation of Miracles in tow.

When he was released, Kuroko stumbled before managing to catch himself. His eyes roamed the gym frantically, but the five prodigies were gone. A flash of pink caught his attention and he saw that Mayuzumi had not included Momoi in his plans. It was true she wasn't exactly part of his vow, but Kuroko was relieved she was safe nonetheless. The other players were looking around in confusion, they didn't remember the five starters leaving, but they had no reason to suspect magic was involved and so brushed it off with the careful resilience of human blindness.

Kuroko slipped out himself, using a small measure of his magic to cloak his departure and summoning Nigou to his side. He didn't explain right away, just said they needed to return to the shadow realm as soon as possible. Kuroko could feel the new band on his wrist tightening as if in protest or in warning, but Kuroko had no choice, he had to get them back before the damage was too great. He wasn't breaking his vow by doing this, the magic would have to adjust to it unless his mysterious benefactor truly meant to sabotage the whole thing.

His subordinates were flustered to see him again so soon but his expression warned them away as he moved with a sense of determined purpose, Nigou hovering anxiously at his side. In this realm it was true, he and Mayuzumi would meet on more equal terms. Kuroko's self-imposed bonds didn't apply here, but he wasn't completely at liberty, either. His new contract had hidden clauses he didn't fully know yet and Kuroko was engaging a battle to save people that might not want his help once presented with the type of power that Mayuzmi could tempt them with. It was a battle that was definitely weighted in Mayuzumi's favor, yet it was not in Kuroko's nature to surrender so easily.

Kuroko made his way to Seidai Myojin's suite, asking the guard there to see if their lord would see him. As he waited, Kuroko felt a sense of panic he hadn't truly experienced in many centuries. Had it been inevitable, then? That he would lose them, one way or another? He couldn't give up yet, of course he couldn't, but Kuroko knew that Mayuzumi wouldn't have chosen to arrange things this way if he weren't supremely confident.

The guard returned, his expression neutral and remote, but he bowed and indicated Kuroko and Nigou should go in. As Kuroko entered, his thoughts were a muddled swirl – somewhere between strategy and panic, and yet…even so…a small flare of relief took hold of him as well. Mayuzumi had shown his hand, finally. Kuroko might be in the reactionary position right now, but he had allies and some time to think. If nothing else, his new contract bought him time until Kagami returned to Japan. His enemy would have to capture and convert all six of them to activate the failure clause of the reworked contract and Mayuzumi didn't know of the new clause, of that Kuroko was certain. It wasn't ideal, but it did mean there was hope – small and fragile though it was, but he'd done bigger things with less.

 


End file.
